Welcome to IDEA Collider with your host, Rick Ritacco. In this episode, we sit down with Jason Tardio, President and COO of Immunic, to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) treatment. For 30 years, MS therapies have primarily focused on controlling inflammation and visible relapses. Jason argues it’s time to look deeper and address the ongoing neurodegeneration driving long-term disability, known as Progression Independent of Relapse Activity (PIRA).

We explore Immunic's investigational therapy, vidofludimus calcium, and its unique dual-mechanism approach: acting as a DHODH inhibitor for anti-inflammatory benefits while also activating the Nurr1 nuclear receptor to potentially provide direct neuroprotection. Jason shares insights from the EMPHASIS and CALIBER clinical trials, discusses why the industry needs safer immunomodulators rather than just broad immunosuppressants (especially as the MS population ages), and shares a fascinating biological link between MS remission during pregnancy and Nurr1 levels. Tune in to hear what the next 10 to 15 years hold for MS patients, including the ultimate goals of halting progression entirely and achieving remyelination.

Episode Timestamps

00:00:00 - Introduction: Meet Jason Tardio, President and COO of Immunic.

00:02:01 - The Evolution of MS Treatment: Transitioning from purely anti-inflammatory approaches to addressing underlying neurodegeneration.

00:04:29 - What is PIRA?: Understanding Progression Independent of Relapse Activity and why patients still accumulate disability.

00:10:30 - The Dual-Mechanism Approach: How vidofludimus calcium combines DHODH inhibition with Nurr1 activation.

00:13:33 - The Power of Nurr1: Exploring the target's role in neuronal survival and the fascinating biological link to pregnancy in MS patients.

00:18:14 - Clinical Validation: Analyzing data from the EMPHASIS (relapsing MS) and CALIBER (progressive MS) trials.

00:27:42 - Standing Out in a Crowded Market: Why safety, tolerability, and avoiding broad immunosuppression matter, especially for aging MS patients facing immunosenescence.

00:36:08 - The Next 10 Years: Moving towards halting progression, potential remyelination, and the need to reclassify MS beyond relapsing and progressive labels.

Keep up with Jason Tardio;

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-tardio/

Keep up with Rick Ritacco:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rritacco/

Follow IDEA Pharma On;

Website: https://www.ideapharma.com/

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