AURORA, Colo. -- Multiple Sclerosis is the most common disease to disable women, and the second leading disease to disable men in Colorado. However, researchers in the Denver area may be on the cusp of finding the best therapy to date.

"Multiple Sclerosis is a disease where the immune system is attacking the brain, and the normal mechanisms that would shut off the attack are not fully operational in patients," said Dr. Timothy Vollmer, professor of neurology at the University of Colorado-Denver.

"It's shocking obviously," said 28-year-old Mike Egeberg, who was recently diagnosed with MS.

A pharmacist himself, Egeberg, sought out a clinical trial to receive the newest medication and to help advance therapies for the disease.

"Anything that we can help speed along the process for getting pills instead of needles will be very beneficial," said Egeberg.

There are currently seven therapies for treating MS, all of which are only partially effective. So the next frontier for research is combining those therapies for maximum benefit, such as combining the cholesterol drug Lipitor, with two existing MS medications.

"Because that drug in two studies now has been able to demonstrate some evidence of decreasing inflammation of the brain and protecting the mechanisms that actually repair the brain," said Vollmer.

And these breakthroughs in research are providing hope for those that will be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in the coming years.

"For about 70 percent of them we are going to eliminate this disease as a major threat to their ability to live their lives and do the things they want to do," said Vollmer

"Best case scenario, I keep living my life the way I am right now," said Egeberg. "Take my pill every day or every week, whatever it ends up being, and go about my business."

Combination therapy studies at the University of Colorado hospital should begin within a couple of months.

Clinical trials like this are now more feasible in Colorado due to House Bill 1059 which forces insurance companies to pay for the usual health care costs for patients who participate in studies.