Roche Seeks to Mend Damaged Nerves in Multiple Sclerosis Push

Roche Holding AG is seeking a partner with experimental drugs that might help repair the damage caused to the nervous system by multiple sclerosis—considered a key step in managing the debilitating disease.

The Swiss drugmaker wants to find “compelling science” in what’s called remyelination, or repairing the protective sheath around nerve cells, according to Sanjay Keswani, the Basel-based head of neuroscience, opthalmology and rare diseases at Roche’s pharma research and early development group. Roche also has its own portfolio of experimental remyelination compounds, though none has reached human trials.

The world’s biggest maker of cancer therapies aims to expand its ...