Current ethical issues of clinical trials of drugs for the pathogenetic therapy of multiple sclerosis in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic posed a serious challenge for scientific and clinical medical institutions in terms of research for new multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments. In this review we discuss the associations between coronavirus infection and MS and provide data on the features of MS pathogenetic therapy during a pandemic. We also analyze the ethical aspects of clinical trials, the problems faced by researchers and patients, especially when using immunosuppressive therapy for MS. We provide examples of violations during research caused by the influence of a pandemic, as well as ways of solving them. Improving ethical standards is an essential component of ensuring the safety of MS and other immune-mediated diseases treatment.

Keywords

• multiple sclerosis
• clinical trials
• ethical aspects
• covid-19