CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va (WSVN). — An experimental drug called kamuvudine-9 helped reverse pre-existing vision loss and paralysis in animal models of multiple sclerosis, according to a study conducted by University of Virginia researchers and funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Researchers determined that K-9 stops the activation of the inflammasome, a cell-destroying mechanism in the central nervous system. In mice displaying symptoms, the drug protected nerve axons, preserved myelin sheaths and reduced blood levels of neurofilament light chain, an indicator of nerve damage.
A broad examination of insurance claims from more than 3 million patients revealed that individuals taking NRTIs for HIV or hepatitis B had lower rates of multiple sclerosis diagnoses and fewer relapses.
Dr. Michael F. Chiang, director of the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health, commented on the significance of the laboratory findings.
“The remarkable reversal of some of MS’s most severe complications in animals, taken together with this drug’s promising safety profile, present a very compelling translational pathway,” Chiang said.
Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati, a lead researcher at the University of Virginia, noted that the human health data aligns with the animal study results.
“Though NRTIs are different molecules, they too block inflammasome activation and the signal we detected here is exactly what we would expect to see if K-9 does one day prove effective in humans,” Ambati said.
Conventional therapies for multiple sclerosis target the adaptive immune system to prevent relapses, but these treatments often suppress overall immunity and do not repair existing neural damage.
To develop K-9, University of Virginia researchers modified existing antiviral medications, removing their antiviral properties and associated side effects while preserving their ability to inhibit inflammasome activation.
K-9 has previously been evaluated in clinical trials for eye conditions including diabetic macular edema and thyroid eye disease.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.