UK launch for progressive multiple sclerosis mega-trial 7th May 2021 The MS Society had announced that a world-first mega-trial for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) will be launched in the UK later this year. According to the charity, Octopus (named for its many arms) is “a revolutionary clinical trial that will transform the way treatments for progressive MS are tested – and could deliver desperately needed new options up to three times faster”. Octopus will test several drugs – as opposed to just one – against a placebo at the same time, and will also combine what would normally be two consecutive trial phases into one, potentially rapidly speeding up the development of new treatments.