Summary
Methoxsalen 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 ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Methoxsalen to Multiple Sclerosis: 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 13 participants. Registered activity dates to 2014. No published literature item is linked to Methoxsalen and Multiple Sclerosis in the OSMF database yet, so the record rests on registry entries alone. Registry entries describe intent to study, not outcomes.
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 | 20.5 (trials 0.5, literature 0.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 0 |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | Open Targets, ChEMBL |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ATP6V1B2 |
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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02296346 | Open-Label Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of ECP in Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis 2014 | terminated | Not applicable | 13 |
Published literature
No publication is linked to this pair yet.
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 Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ATP6V1B2. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Methoxsalen approved for Multiple Sclerosis?
Methoxsalen 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 Methoxsalen in clinical trials for Multiple Sclerosis?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Methoxsalen to Multiple Sclerosis: 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 13 participants. Registered activity dates to 2014.
What does the evidence show for Methoxsalen in Multiple Sclerosis?
Trials of Methoxsalen in Multiple Sclerosis are registered but none has completed, so there is no outcome evidence from those studies yet; the record is a signal of research interest. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ATP6V1B2. 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.