A Southampton hospital has launched a 'mega trial' to help people suffering from multiple sclerosis.

University Hospital Southampton (UHS) has started the trial, called Octopus, to aid individuals suffering from increasingly severe forms of the nerve-damaging condition, also known as MS.

The disease is characterised by the immune system's assault on the brain and spinal cord's protective fibre lining, leading to symptoms such as a loss of mobility, trouble with vision and balance, sensations of numbness and muscle stiffness.

MS progressively worsens and currently, no cure has been found.

Octopus' unique selling point is that it will trial several drugs concurrently, making it three times faster than standard trials.

If particular drugs prove ineffective, they can be swiftly substituted with others based on immediate results.

The overarching focus is on existing drugs that have gained approval for treating other diseases, but with potential for slowing down, or even reversing, MS progression.

The trial is set to include around 125 individuals with progressive MS forms, selected by UHS, which has been chosen as one of the four national regional hubs for rallying support and recruiting trial participants.

The test is planned to initially scrutinise two drugs: metformin, a known diabetes medication, and a variant of alpha-lipoic acid, a dietary supplement acting as an antioxidant.

Both have shown potential in treating neuropathy, a nerve condition.

The intention to further extend the range of drugs in the trial makes this a major moment for MS research, funded by charity, the MS Society.

MS affects over 130,000 people in the UK, with a large number suffering from progressive forms of the condition, lacking adequate treatment to halt the degeneration.

UHS is also involved in a trial testing a cholesterol-lowering drug in secondary progressive MS, shedding light on the connection of infections with spinal cord shrinkage.

The trial in Southampton is being led by Professor Ian Galea, neurological consultant at UHS and Professor of clinical and experimental neurology at the University of Southampton.

He said: “Octopus is a landmark trial that is designed to maximise the probability of finding a treatment for progressive forms of MS in the shortest possible time.

“Southampton has a long-standing expertise in progressive MS studies and because progression of the disease is likely to have many influencing factors, we take a number of different approaches.”