Mavenclad (cladribine) has become the multiple sclerosis therapy of choice for one in five neurologists in Germany and the United Kingdom, according to a Spherix Global Insights survey.
Meanwhile, many European neurologists are looking forward to the continent’s approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), particularly as a treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis, or PPMS. The United States approved the therapy in March of 2017.
European neurologists are using Mavenclad for both relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, or RRMS, and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, SPMS.
The report that Spherix issued on European neurologists’ treatment choices is called “RealTime Dynamix: Multiple Sclerosis EU.” It was based on a survey of 261 neurologists, who were asked about thei disease-modifying drugs they prescribed and the way they manage MS, according to a press release.
The survey focused on Merck KGaA’s Mavenclad, which the European Union approved in August 2017, and Genentech’s Ocrevus, which the European Commission is expected to approve soon. The European Medicines Agency paved the way for approval by recommending its authorization earlier this month.
Mavenclad is the first disease-modifying therapy that most of the patients who are on it have tried, according to the survey. Spherix analysts said this indicates that Mavenclad may expand the proportion of MS patients using disease-modifying drugs.
But while Mavenclad’s label allows patients to use it as a first-line therapy, the survey revealed that many neurologists are not comfortable prescribing it as an initial treatment. This suggests that the Mavenclad-treated population may later include more patients who switched treatments, Spherix said.
Mavenclad reduces MS relapses by resetting the immune system, studies have shown.