COLUMBUS, Ohio — There's no known cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), but OhioHealth researchers are testing a promising discovery. 

What You Need To Know

  • Researchers at OhioHealth are testing the benefits of a newly FDA approved treatment
  • It's shown to help lessen the symptoms of multiple sclerosis

  • Dante Crumbley became the first MS patient in the US to take the treatment

  • After coping with multiple sclerosis for a decade, Crumbley shares his experience with the treatment so far

Dante Crumbley, 32, was the first person in the U.S. to receive the newly approved FDA treatment for MS called Briumvi. His first dose was administered at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus on Feb. 1.

He started noticing the signs a decade ago. 

“I first started having symptoms in 2013. My legs and feet were numb," Crumbley said.

But Crumbley later learned it was worse than he thought. His neurologist determined he had MS. 

“I didn’t know a lot about MS,” Crumbley said. “So, I wasn’t like I wasn’t like nervous or scared or anything. I just was like OK, you know. This is something that we have to deal with. What are the next steps?”

Crumbley went on different medications over the years. They helped, but he couldn't ignore the side effects he was experiencing

"I was getting flu-like symptoms,” he said. 

That is until Crumbley heard of a different form of treatment called Briumvi. February was his first dose, making him the first in the US to take it. 

A form of treatment that Dr. Jacqueline Nicholas, director of MS research at the OhioHealth Multiple Sclerosis Center, says can lessen the symptoms for people with MS. 

“It’s a highly effective medicine,” said Nicholas. “And so, most people on this type of medicine would be very well controlled in terms of their MS.”

Nicholas said it's too soon to see the how people like Crumbley react to the infusion of anti-bodies given every six months. But clinical trials show it's reduced relapse rates by over 50% and shut down active inflammation by 97% compared to pills. 

She also pointed to a big plus when administering this treatment.

“It’s given in over an hour, which is a big advantage," Nicholas said. "We get some of the other therapies we have for MS require patients to be in the infusion center for many hours." 

The goal now is that Briumvi will prevent Crumbley from suffering new neurological symptoms, and that promise is giving people like him hope.  

“With the new medicine, I feel better,” said Crumbley. “It’s now a matter of not having to worry about ‘oh, will I be tired' or 'will this be too much?' It just allows me to enjoy, you know those day-to-day activities a little more.”

If you or someone you know has multiple sclerosis, Nicholas encourages them to reach out to an MS specialist to talk about treatment options.