Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors have shown therapeutic potential in preclinical models of multiple sclerosis (MS), but trial results recently reported at the ACTRIMS Forum (West Palm Beach, FL, USA, 29 February–2 March 2024) indicate that translation to the clinic is unlikely to be straightforward.

Xavier Montalban presented the findings of the phase III evolutionRMS 1 and 2 trials of the BTK inhibitor evobrutinib in patients with relapsing MS (RMS). The trials included 2,290 participants, who were randomly assigned to receive evobrutinib (n = 1,143) or teriflunomide (n = 1,147) — a drug that is already used to treat RMS.