World Multiple Sclerosis Day | “Biotechnology is enabling progress toward a better understanding of multiple sclerosis.”

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative neurological disease that affects the central nervous system, with a course that varies greatly from one patient to another. In Spain, it is estimated that around 55,000 people are living with the disease, with thousands of new diagnoses every year, especially among young adults and with a higher prevalence in women. Despite the therapeutic advances achieved in recent decades, there is still a significant unmet medical need, particularly in the progressive forms of the disease and in controlling disability progression.

In this context, biotechnology is redefining the approach to multiple sclerosis through new therapeutic tools, a more precise understanding of the immune mechanisms involved, and strategies aimed not only at controlling relapses but also at slowing the progression of neurological damage. Sanofi has positioned this area as a strategic focus within neuroscience, with a research line particularly centered on chronic neuroinflammation and its role in disease progression, seeking new ways to improve patients’ quality of life. On the occasion of World Multiple Sclerosis Day, celebrated on May 30, we spoke with the company.

AseBio. On the occasion of World Multiple Sclerosis Day, how would you describe the current moment in the approach to the disease, both from a clinical and scientific perspective?

Sanofi. We are at a very significant stage of evolution in the way we understand and approach multiple sclerosis. For years, much of the focus was placed on controlling relapses and acute inflammation, but today we know that the disease is far more complex and heterogeneous.

We are increasingly gaining a better understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in its progression and how certain processes may contribute to neurological deterioration beyond visible clinical activity. This is driving a paradigm shift toward a more precise, personalized approach focused on preserving neurological function and long-term quality of life.

Today, the goal is no longer only to control the visible activity of the disease, but also to better understand what happens during stages in which neurological damage may continue to progress in less evident ways.

AseBio. Despite therapeutic advances, what are still the main unmet needs of people living with multiple sclerosis today, especially in progressive forms of the disease?

Sanofi. One of the main challenges in multiple sclerosis continues to be the progressive accumulation of disability, which can occur even in the absence of evident clinical relapses. Part of the disability associated with the disease may progress silently, representing one of the greatest unmet medical needs, particularly in the progressive stages of the condition.

In addition, this progression is not always easy to identify in its early stages, which is why it remains essential to advance tools that help better understand the evolution of each patient and support more precise clinical decision-making.

Beyond controlling the disease itself, it is also important to continue moving toward a more comprehensive approach that takes into account aspects such as autonomy, mental health, working life, and the social impact that multiple sclerosis has on people and those around them.

AseBio. Sanofi is focusing on neuroinflammation as a key element in disease progression. What does this shift in focus mean compared to more traditional approaches?

Sanofi. It means broadening the way we understand the disease. Traditionally, much of the therapeutic approach focused on peripheral inflammation and controlling visible relapses. However, we now know that there are processes within the central nervous system itself that can contribute to neurological damage and disability progression, even in the absence of relapses.

Focusing on neuroinflammation means advancing toward strategies aimed at better understanding those biological mechanisms associated with disease progression.

This shift also represents an evolution in the way multiple sclerosis is approached: not only reacting to visible clinical activity, but also identifying what happens in stages where the disease continues to progress in a less evident way.

AseBio. How is biotechnology helping transform the treatment and understanding of multiple sclerosis, and what advances do you consider most promising in the short and medium term?

Sanofi. Biotechnology is enabling progress toward a better understanding of the disease. Thanks to the development of biomarkers, advanced neuroimaging techniques, and new data analysis capabilities, it is now possible to detect with greater sensitivity changes associated with disease progression and to monitor each patient more precisely.

All of this is helping to move toward more targeted and personalized approaches, adapted to each patient’s characteristics and disease evolution. Patients themselves are the best possible “biomarker.”

In the short and medium term, one of the most promising advances will precisely be the availability of tools that allow for more precise monitoring and support increasingly individualized clinical decision-making.

AseBio. What role does Spain play within Sanofi’s strategy for research and innovation in multiple sclerosis, whether in clinical trials, scientific collaboration, or access to innovation?

Sanofi. Spain plays a very important role thanks to the quality of its healthcare professionals, hospital centers, and research capabilities. Our country holds a prominent position in clinical research in Europe and has leading neurologists and hospitals with extensive experience in multiple sclerosis and a very active participation in international clinical research.

In neurology, Spain has also had a particularly relevant role in clinical research in multiple sclerosis, with hundreds of patients included in phase III trials and more than a hundred centers involved in recent years. This reflects not only research capacity, but also a high level of specialization and collaboration within the scientific and healthcare ecosystem.

Collaboration between hospitals, researchers, patient associations, and industry is key to continuing to generate scientific evidence and advance knowledge of complex diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

In addition, maintaining a competitive biomedical research ecosystem has an impact that goes far beyond science. The pharmaceutical industry contributes around 2% of Spain’s GDP, generates more than 55,000 direct jobs, and accounts for nearly 20% of industrial R&D investment. All of this helps strengthen Spain’s ability to attract research, participate in international studies, and facilitate access to innovation.

AseBio. From an industry perspective, what barriers are still making it difficult for innovation to reach patients with multiple sclerosis more quickly?

Sanofi. One of the main challenges remains reducing the time between scientific breakthroughs and their effective arrival to patients. In complex and evolving diseases such as multiple sclerosis, time has a particularly significant impact.

Europe is also experiencing an increasingly competitive context in biomedical research and has lost relative ground in global clinical research over the past decade. Spain holds a strong position in clinical research and a high-level scientific ecosystem, but this cannot be taken for granted.

Maintaining an attractive environment for clinical research will be key to continuing participation in international studies, attracting investment, generating scientific evidence, and enabling patients to access therapeutic innovation earlier.

There are also ongoing challenges related to the incorporation of new diagnostic tools, coordination between different levels of healthcare, and variability in access to innovation across regions.

The priority now is to consolidate Spain’s and Europe’s capacity to continue playing a relevant role in the future of biomedical innovation and to ensure that scientific advances truly reach patients.

AseBio. Looking at the next five to ten years, how does Sanofi envision the future approach to multiple sclerosis?

Sanofi. We believe that in the coming years we will see a much more personalized approach, with a greater ability to understand how the disease evolves in each individual and to adapt clinical decisions in a more tailored way.

The combination of biotechnology, plasma biomarkers, advanced neuroimaging, and new analytical tools will continue to drive progress toward more comprehensive monitoring and a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in disease progression, especially in stages where neurological deterioration may advance in less visible ways.

But beyond scientific innovation, the ultimate goal is to help people living with multiple sclerosis maintain their autonomy, abilities, and life projects for longer. To achieve this, it will also be key to continue advancing social awareness and understanding of a disease whose progression is not always visible.