Summary
Dexamethasone has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Multiple Sclerosis would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Multiple Sclerosis. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 6 registered trials linking Dexamethasone to Multiple Sclerosis: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 is active or not yet recruiting; 2 have completed; 2 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT05232825). It plans or enrolled 236 participants. Registration activity spans 2003 to 2025. The literature layer holds 11 publications for this pair: 2 Cochrane reviews, 1 systematic review, 3 randomised controlled trial publications and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1989 to 2019. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Multiple Sclerosis ranks 371 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Untreated relapsing MS: ~1 relapse/year; disability accumulates over time in ~85% who convert to secondary progressive MS; spontaneous remission from MS is not possible.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 68.0 (trials 18.0, literature 30.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 6 total: 1 recruiting, 1 active / not yet recruiting, 2 completed, 2 other |
| Linked publications | 11 (5 clinical trial publications, 3 randomised controlled trial publications, 2 Cochrane reviews, 1 systematic review) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | CD86 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT05232825 | A Phase III, Non-Inferiority, Randomized, Open-Label, Parallel Group, Multicenter Study To Investigate The Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Safety And Radiological And Clinical Effects Of Subcutaneous Ocrelizumab Versus Intravenous Ocrelizumab In Patients With Multiple Sclerosis 2022 | completed | Phase 3 | 236 |
| NCT04047628 | Best Available Therapy Versus Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant for Multiple Sclerosis (BEAT-MS) 2019 | recruiting | Phase 3 | 156 |
| NCT07597668 | A Comparative Study of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Safety, and Immunogenicity of RPH-035 and Ocrevus® in Patients With Relapsing-remitting or Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis With Exacerbations 2025 | active, not recruiting | Phase 1 | 180 |
| NCT00674141 | Nasal Administration of Dexamethasone for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Treatment 2008 | withdrawn | Phase 1 | 10 |
| NCT02644044 | Intrathecal Methotrexate for Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: An Open Label Single Arm Study 2016 | status unknown | Early Phase 1 | 30 |
| NCT00232193 | Safety/Effectiveness of Adding Monthly Dexamethasone to Weekly Avonex for MS 2003 | completed | Not applicable | 40 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Human intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of autologous, non-engineered, adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (ADSVF) for neurodegenerative disorders: results of a 3-year phase 1 study of 113 injections in 31 patientsDuma C, Kopyov O, Kopyov A et al. · Molecular biology reports · 2019 · PMID 31327120
- Cochrane review Corticosteroids for treating optic neuritisGal RL, Vedula SS, Beck R · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015 · PMID 26273799
- Cochrane review Pharmacological treatments for fatigue associated with palliative careMücke M, Mochamat, Cuhls H et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015 · PMID 26026155
- Clinical trial publication Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity evolves differentially in untreated versus treated multiple sclerosisKümpfel T, Schwan M, Weber F et al. · Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2014 · PMID 24845180
- Systematic review [Treatment of nausea and vomiting with 5HT3 receptor antagonists, steroids, antihistamines, anticholinergics, somatostatinantagonists, benzodiazepines and cannabinoids in palliative care patients : a systematic review]Benze G, Geyer A, Alt-Epping B et al. · Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2012 · PMID 22983450
- Clinical trial publication Monthly intravenous methylprednisolone in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis - reduction of enhancing lesions, T2 lesion volume and plasma prolactin concentrationsThen Bergh F, Kümpfel T, Schumann E et al. · BMC neurology · 2006 · PMID 16719908
- Clinical trial publication Combined treatment with corticosteroids and moclobemide favors normalization of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a randomized, double blind trialThen Bergh F, Kümpfel T, Grasser A et al. · The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2001 · PMID 11297592
- Clinical trial publication Serial evoked potentials in multiple sclerosis bouts. Relation to steroid treatmentLa Mantia L, Riti F, Milanese C et al. · Italian journal of neurological sciences · 1994 · PMID 7698890
- Randomized controlled trial Double-blind trial of dexamethasone versus methylprednisolone in multiple sclerosis acute relapsesLa Mantia L, Eoli M, Milanese C et al. · European neurology · 1994 · PMID 7915989
- Randomized controlled trial Acute and long-term effects of adrenocorticotropin and dexamethasone on the auditory brainstem response in multiple sclerosis patientsBorn J, Schwab B, Schwab R et al. · Journal of neurology · 1993 · PMID 8138828
- Randomized controlled trial Double-blind randomized trial of ACTH versus dexamethasone versus methylprednisolone in multiple sclerosis bouts. Clinical, cerebrospinal fluid and neurophysiological resultsMilanese C, La Mantia L, Salmaggi A et al. · European neurology · 1989 · PMID 2540005
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target CD86. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dexamethasone approved for Multiple Sclerosis?
Dexamethasone has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Multiple Sclerosis would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Multiple Sclerosis. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Dexamethasone in clinical trials for Multiple Sclerosis?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 6 registered trials linking Dexamethasone to Multiple Sclerosis: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 is active or not yet recruiting; 2 have completed; 2 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT05232825). It plans or enrolled 236 participants. Registration activity spans 2003 to 2025.
What does the evidence show for Dexamethasone in Multiple Sclerosis?
Dexamethasone has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Multiple Sclerosis. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target CD86. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.