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NCT Number: NCT07292480

Monthly Monitoring of Plasma NfL in Treated Relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis to Detect Persistent Infraclinical Disease Activity

Reference MRI scan is recommended 6 months after treatment onset in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and follow-up scans at 12 months later to monitor subclinical activity. When monitoring treatment response in patients treated with disease modifying treatments (DMTs), the measurement of new or enlarging T2/FLAIR hyperintense lesions (NELs) is the preferred MRI method supplemented by contrast-enhancing lesions (CELs) for monitoring treatment response. However, some studies have suggested the deposition of gadolinium-based contrast agents in the basal ganglia and dentate nucleus of patients who underwent serial MRI acquisitions. Although significant clinical consequences of these deposits have not been demonstrated, further studies are required to better understand the potential long-term biological and clinical effects of gadolinium administration. To circumvent this potential risk, several recommendations suggested avoiding unnecessary use of gadolinium for follow-up scans. New sequences are also developed to replace gadolinium injection for the detection of active lesions. Moreover, MRI remains costly and time-consuming. In addition, systematic yearly MRI monitoring is not adapted to detect silent active lesions. This can delay identification of treatment failure and increase the risk of relapses and disability worsening, especially in the context of escalation therapy.

Therefore, biological markers could allow more frequent analysis of disease activity and detect treatment failure earlier than classical clinical and MRI monitoring. Their use would greatly help clinicians to switch for high efficacy treatments (HET) and avoid potential relapses.

Measurement of a structural axonal protein, neurofilament, in serum or plasma has shown promise as a marker of neuroaxonal injury and a measure of treatment response. In MS, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurofilament-light chain (NfL) is also increased and is positively associated with MRI lesion load and disability scores and is a marker of treatment response.

WThe study authors hypothesize that monthly plasma neurofilament-light chain (pNfL) monitoring can sensitively highlight subclinical (radiological disease activity) RDA by performing early MRI scans to confirm EDA and lead to timely treatment escalation.

The main objective of this study is to compare the time to EDA in both arms (monthly pNfL monitoring vs. standard care with regular MRI scans), in patients with EDA.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–55 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

CHU de Nice, Nice, France

Loading trial locations.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient with RRMS according to 2024 McDonald's criteria.
  • Less than 10 years from disease onset.
  • Active RRMS (EDA) observed during the last 24 months: relapse and/or NELs and/or CELs as compared to a previous MRI performed within 24 months (± 3 months).
  • Current MET (IFN, GA, TE, fumarates) for less than 24 months.
  • Standard MRI follow-up scan performed less than 90 days before inclusion.
  • Clinically stable disease for at least 30 days.
  • Patients included in observational studies and cohorts (OFSEP, PROMISE …) will be eligible for inclusion in MoMo-NfL.
  • For women with reproductive potential: negative pregnancy test at the time of inclusion and use of an effective method to avoid pregnancy for the duration of the trial.
  • Patients able to adhere to the study visit schedule.
  • Patient must have signed and given the consent.
  • Patient affiliated or beneficiary of a health insurance plan.

Exclusion criteria

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding woman.
  • Patient unable to perform brain and/or spinal cord MRI scans.
  • Patient not willing to perform monthly blood punctures.
  • Patient treated with HET (S1P agonists, natalizumab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab, rituximab, alemtuzumab, cladribine, mitoxantrone).
  • Patient with a relapse within 6 months before inclusion.
  • Patient with CELs within 3 months before inclusion.
  • Patient with progressive MS.
  • Patient unable to sign the consent.
  • It is impossible to correctly inform the patient.
  • Patient already participating in therapeutic research or in an exclusion period. The exclusion period corresponds to five half-lives (t1/2) of the experimental drug.
  • Patient under judicial protection, or is an adult under guardianship.
  • Female patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding or of reproductive potential who are not willing to employ effective birth control for the duration of the trial.

Treatment and study plan

Monthly pNfL monitoring

Other

Monthly pNfL monitoring from blood samples. In case of >50% pNfL increase as compared to the mean of the 2 previous measures, an unscheduled visit with brain and spinal cord MRI will be scheduled

Primary outcomes

  1. Time to evidence of disease activity between groups

    Time frame: week 48

    As assessed by new relapse and/or occurrence of NELs and/or CELs on a follow-up MRI scan

  2. Time to evidence of disease activity between groups

    Time frame: week 96

    As assessed by new relapse and/or occurrence of NELs and/or CELs on a follow-up MRI scan

Secondary outcomes

  1. Proportion of CELs between groups

    Time frame: week 48

    percent of active (contrast-enhancing) lesion

  2. Proportion of CELs between groups

    Time frame: week 96

    percent of active (contrast-enhancing) lesion

  3. Rate of clinical relapses between groups

    Time frame: week 48

    percentage patients experiencing relapse

  4. Rate of clinical relapses between groups

    Time frame: week 96

    percentage patients experiencing relapse

  5. Time to switch to high efficacy treatments

    Time frame: week 48

    Days

  6. Time to switch to high efficacy treatments

    Time frame: week 96

    Days

  7. Proportion of patients switching to high efficacy treatments between groups

    Time frame: week 48

    Percentage

  8. Proportion of patients switching to high efficacy treatments between groups

    Time frame: week 96

    Percentage

  9. Change in pNfL levels in patients experiencing relapse with active MRI in experimental group

    Time frame: Upon experiencing relapse (maximum week 96)

    pg/mL; measured using Lumipulse® G NfL Blood

  10. Change in pNfL levels in patients experiencing acute clinical event in experimental group

    Time frame: Upon experiencing an acute clinical event (maximum week 96)

    pg/mL; measured using Lumipulse® G NfL Blood

  11. Change in pNfL levels in patients experiencing radiological disease activity without clinical symptoms in experimental group

    Time frame: Upon experiencing radiological disease activity (maximum week 96)

    pg/mL; measured using Lumipulse® G NfL Blood

  12. Change in pNfL levels in patients switching to high efficacy treatments

    Time frame: Upon evidence of disease activity (maximum week 96)

    pg/mL; measured using Lumipulse® G NfL Blood

Other outcomes

  1. To estimate the best threshold of pNfL increase (last measure as compared to the mean of 2 previous measures) with best accuracy to detect evidence of disease activity

    Time frame: week 96

    pNfL levels in pg/mL

  2. Time to evidence of disease activity using optimized threshold in experimental group

    Time frame: week 96

    Months

  3. Correlation between basal pNfL fluctuations in patients with no evidence of disease activity and brain health questionnaire score

    Time frame: week 96

    Brain-Q

  4. Description of adverse events

    Time frame: week 96

    Descriptive

  5. Level of disability

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 0)

    EDSS (Extanded Disability Status Scale) score, range: 0.0-10

  6. Level of disability

    Time frame: Week 48

    EDSS (Extanded Disability Status Scale) score, range: 0.0-10

  7. Level of disability

    Time frame: week 96

    EDSS (Extanded Disability Status Scale) score, range: 0.0-10

  8. Information processing speed impairment

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 0)

    CSCT (Computerized Speed Cognitive Test): score and standard deviation

  9. Information processing speed impairment

    Time frame: week 48

    CSCT (Computerized Speed Cognitive Test): score and standard deviation

  10. Information processing speed impairment

    Time frame: week 96

    CSCT (Computerized Speed Cognitive Test): score and standard deviation

  11. Manual dexterity

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 0)

    NHPT (Nine Hole Peg Test): time (seconds)

  12. Manual dexterity

    Time frame: week 48

    NHPT (Nine Hole Peg Test): time (seconds)

  13. Manual dexterity

    Time frame: week 96

    NHPT (Nine Hole Peg Test): time (seconds)

  14. Walking function

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 0)

    T25FW (Timed 25-Foot Walk); time (seconds)

  15. Walking function

    Time frame: week 48

    T25FW (Timed 25-Foot Walk); time (seconds)

  16. Walking function

    Time frame: week 96

    T25FW (Timed 25-Foot Walk); time (seconds)

  17. Patient-reported change in status

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 0)

    PGIC (Patient Global Impression of Change scale): score (7 points Likert scale)

  18. Patient-reported change in status

    Time frame: Week 48

    PGIC (Patient Global Impression of Change scale): score (7 points Likert scale)

  19. Patient-reported change in status

    Time frame: week 96

    PGIC (Patient Global Impression of Change scale): score (7 points Likert scale)

  20. Patient-reported quality of life

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 0)

    EQ-5D-5L score (0-100)

  21. Patient-reported quality of life

    Time frame: week 48

    EQ-5D-5L score (0-100)

  22. Patient-reported quality of life

    Time frame: week 96

    EQ-5D-5L score (0-100)

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Eric Thouvenot

CONTACT

[email protected]

04 66 68 32 61

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Monthly Monitoring of Plasma NfL in Treated RRMS to Detect Persistent Infraclinical Disease Activity

Acronym: MoMo-NfL

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2030
Study completion
2030
First posted
Dec 18, 2025
Registry last updated
Jun 18, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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