BHT-3009 Immunotherapy in Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

People with multiple sclerosis are thought to have abnormal immunity. Usually the body's immune system attacks only foreign substances, but people with MS have abnormal immunity, where the immune system attacks normal proteins, one of which is a protein found in the brain called MBP (myelin basic protein). This abnormal immunity causes inflammation in the brain resulting in nerve damage. BHT-3009 is a drug that is designed to decrease this abnormal immunity to MBP. BHT-3009 is a DNA plasmid that contains the gene for MBP. Plasmids are circular pieces of DNA that are being tested in clinical trials for their ability to alter patients' immune systems. Two different doses of BHT-3009 will be tested to determine if there are any differences in their safety or effects on inflammation. Treatment in this study is 3 doses every two weeks for 6 weeks, followed by a dose every 4 weeks for a total of 13 doses in 44 weeks.