Immunic Inc (NASDAQ:IMUX) has presented clinical trial data suggesting its oral therapy, vidofludimus calcium, could help slow disability in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis, a form of the disease that remains difficult to treat.
The results were shared at the annual congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Barcelona, one of the largest gatherings of neurologists and researchers in the field.
In all, the Immunic team gave four poster presentations outlining its findings in an oral presentation and four posters at ECTRIMS.
In the phase 2 CALLIPER trial, patients taking vidofludimus calcium were more than twice as likely to show confirmed improvement in physical function after 24 weeks compared with those on placebo.
The drug also reduced the risk of worsening disability by nearly a quarter across the overall study group of 467 patients. Importantly, the effect was seen not only in patients with signs of active inflammation but also in those without, a population for whom existing therapies offer limited benefit.
Robert Fox, a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic and lead investigator of the trial, told attendees the findings point to the drug’s potential as a neuroprotective therapy, one that preserves nerve cells rather than simply controlling inflammation.
He said the treatment appeared well-tolerated, with safety results similar to placebo.
Progressive multiple sclerosis, or PMS, is characterised by a steady decline in function rather than periodic relapses. Most currently approved drugs are aimed at the relapsing form of the disease, leaving patients with PMS few options.
That made the CALLIPER results one of the highlights of the congress, earning a place in the “Best of ECTRIMS” selection.
Immunic also shared long-term data from its EMPhASIS study in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, which tracked patients for up to five years.
More than 90% of participants remained free of confirmed disability worsening, and discontinuation rates were low, reinforcing the company’s confidence in the drug’s safety and durability.
Vidofludimus calcium works through a dual mechanism. It activates a protein called Nurr1, believed to protect neurons from damage, while also dampening an enzyme that drives overactive immune responses.
That combination, Immunic argues, could make it distinct from other oral therapies on the market.
The company is now running two phase 3 trials in relapsing disease, with results expected in 2026.