Lemtrada

Lemtrada

My Lemtrada Journey: A Little Dip on the Roller Coaster

I’m now three months past my second round of Lemtrada treatments, so it’s time for an update. I began Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) in December 2016, hoping it will be the last disease-modifying therapy that I’ll ever need to use. I’ve had peaks and valleys since this treatment began, thus…

#AAN2018 ā€” Lemtrada Sustains Long-Term Benefits for RRMS Patients, TOPAZ Study Shows

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) can sustain reduced activity and prevent progression of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) for more than seven years, clinical data from the CARE-MS extension trial shows. Findings were recently presented in four poster presentations at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Los Angeles. Lemtrada, marketed by Sanofi Genzyme, is an approved MS therapy that, according to its label, should generally be reserved for patients who have had an inadequate response to two or more other therapies. But the use of the word "generally" opens a window of opportunity ā€œto use Lemtrada as a second-line therapy and potentially first-line therapy,ā€ Barry Singer, MD, director of the MS Center for Innovations in Care at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, said in an email response to questions fromĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today. The treatment was initially tested in two pivotal clinical trials in comparison with a high-dose under-the-skin injection of Rebif (interferon beta-1a) in RRMS patients. Participants were either new to treatment (CARE-MS I, NCT00530348) or had not responded to prior therapies (CARE-MS II, NCT00548405). During these trials, patients received 12 mg of Lemtrada for three or five consecutive days in two annual courses ā€” at the beginning of the study and again one year later. After completing this treatment period, they had the opportunity to participate in a four-year extension study (NCT00930553) during which they could receive the therapy as needed to control their disease. Patients completing the extension could enroll in the five-year TOPAZ trial (NCT02255656) for further evaluation. To date, 80% of the participants (299 patients) from CARE-MS I and 73% from CARE-MS II (317 patients) have completed seven years of long-term follow-up. After completing two initial courses of Lemtrada, 59% of patients from CARE-MS I and 47% from CARE-MS II did not require additional treatment courses with Lemtrada or other disease-modifying therapies during the next six years. Two-thirds of Ā CARE-MS II patients who required a third Lemtrada course also experienced disability stabilization one year after the last treatment. During the seven years of follow-up, reported annualized relapse rates remained low, and 37% of patients from CARE-MS 1 and 44% from CARE-MS II experienced confirmed improvements in disability. In fact, during this period, only 26% from CARE-MS 1 and 31% from CARE-MS II showed disability worsening. The treatment also had a sustained effect on slowing brain volume loss by the seventh year, with a median yearly brain volume loss of 0.20% or less from the third to seventh year. This effect was found to be even better than that reported during the initial two years of treatment in the pivotal studies (0.59% in the first year and 0.25% in the second year in CARE-MS I, andĀ 0.48% in year one and 0.22% in year two in CARE-MS II). Additionally, evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no signs of disease activity during the seven years of follow-up. ā€œThe extension study data being presented at AAN illustrate that more than two-thirds of patients did not experience confirmed disability worsening at year seven after initiating treatment with Lemtrada,ā€ Singer said in a press release. ā€œIn addition, consistent effects were maintained over time across relapses and MRI outcomes including brain volume loss, even though the majority of patients did not receive any additional treatment over the prior six years.ā€ During the extension studies, the frequency of adverse events was similar to that reported during the pivotal studies. In seven years, three deaths occurred, none of which was considered to be treatment-related. Thyroid adverse events were reported to be more frequent by the third year, but declined thereafter. As Singer noted, "the serious risks of Lemtrada, including serious infusion reactions, serious infections, thyroid disease, kidney disease, low platelets and potential malignancies, must always be discussed with the patient." All patients should also be carefully monitored on a monthly basis for four years after the last treatment course ā€œto screen for autoimmune complications, including low platelet counts, thyroid disease, and kidney disease,ā€ he said. Lemtradaā€™s long-term effects were shared at the AAN annual meeting in these presentations: ā€œActive RRMS Patients Treated with Alemtuzumab Experience Durable Reductions in MRI Disease Activity and Slowing of Brain Volume Loss: 7-Year Follow-up of CARE-MS II Patients (TOPAZ Study)ā€ ā€œDurable Clinical Outcomes With Alemtuzumab in Patients With Active RRMS in the Absence of Continuous Treatment: 7-Year Follow-up of CARE-MS II Patients (TOPAZ Study)ā€ ā€œDurable Reduction in MRI Disease Activity and Slowing of Brain Volume Loss in Alemtuzumab-Treated Patients With Active RRMS: 7-Year Follow-up of CARE-MS I Patients (TOPAZ Study)ā€ ā€œDurable Clinical Efficacy of Alemtuzumab in Patients With Active RRMS in the Absence of Continuous Treatment: 7-Year Follow-up of CARE-MS I Patients (TOPAZ Study) Lemtrada is approved in more than 60 countries, and has additional marketing applications under review by regulatory authorities worldwide.

Tricks of the Trade

I saw my neurologist a few weeks ago for what was effectively an emergency meeting. I’d had the customary two rounds of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and still had a relapse. We discussed weighty subjects and there seemed,Ā surprisingly, to still be some hope. It depends on the outcome of an MRI;…

#AAN2018 – CladribineĀ Injections Deplete Number of Memory B-cells in RRMS, Study Shows

CladribineĀ treatment leads to a selective depletion of memory B-cells in patients with relapsing-remittingĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS), researchers report. The results are in the presentation ā€œCladribine for the Effective Control of Multiple Sclerosis via Memory B Cell Depletionā€ being given Friday, the final day of the 2018 Annual MeetingĀ of theĀ …

It Shouldn’t Be This Hard to Get Our MS Medications

I got a phone call from my MS One to One nurse, Lynn, today. One to One is the patient support service provided by Sanofi Genzyme for patients on the biotech company’s MS disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Aubagio (teriflunomide). Lynn called to ensure that all…

Having a Swell Time

The thing about becoming increasingly immobile is that your consumption of TV, radio, podcasts, books and, indeed, anything writtenĀ goes up immeasurably. Luckily, one of the creative explosions in the recent years I’ve had MS is Scandi drama. I don’t know if it’s really penetrated the U.S. market, although…

#ACTRIMS2018 ā€“ Third Course of Lemtrada Improves Relapse, Disability in MS Patients, CARE-MS II Trial Shows

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who experience a relapse after two courses ofĀ Lemtrada (alemtuzumab)Ā treatment showed improvements inĀ relapse rate and disability after aĀ third Lemtrada course, according to results of the CARE-MS II trial extension. The poster reporting the findings, titled ā€œEfficacy of Alemtuzumab Retreatment in Patients Who Experienced Disease Activity after…

The Case of the Worried Patient

Hypochondria grabs, and it’s very difficult to shake. I spent the past three days eliminating potential reasons for struggling more than usual. Hopefully, it was a urinary tract infection (UTI) that was causing severe lethargy. It might have been at the start; I immediately jumped on a high ph…

#MSParis2017 ā€“ Early High-Efficacy Treatment Reduces Disability Accumulation in Young MS Patients

While early use of high-efficacy treatments lowers relapse rates among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to lower-efficacy ones, starting these therapies earlier may only impact the accumulation of disability among young patients, according to data presented at the 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting in Paris, France. Earlier treatment…

#MSParis2017 – Lemtrada and Tysabri More Efficient Than Older Injectables in Preventing SPMS Onset, Study Finds

Sanofi Genzyme‘s Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Biogen’s Tysabri (natalizumab) are more effective in preventing conversion to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) compared to older injectable drugs, researchers from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. reported at the 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS MeetingĀ Oct. 25-28 in Paris. The…

#MSParis2017 – Sanofi to Present Long-term Data on Lemtrada and Aubagio Use

New data on how Lemtrada and Aubagio perform in a real-world setting will be the focus of Sanofi Genzyme when the company showcases its research at the upcoming 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting in Paris this week. Researchers will also share information about the safety of a new investigational therapy, GLD52 (GZ402668), currently in a Phase 1 safety study. The TOPAZ study is one of the main data sources for the upcoming presentations. The study, which follows relapsing MS patients who participated in the CARE MS-I and CARE MS-II extension study , is a rich source of information on long-term outcomes. Researchers will share various aspects of disease outcomes and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from patients followed up to seven years, with some presentations focusing solely on those who switched from treatment with interferon beta-1a. Among the Lemtrada highlights are findings demonstrating that Lemtrada does not appear to trigger birth defects. Another presentation compared Lemtrada to Genentechā€™s Ocrevus using a model that evaluated both the cost and effectiveness of the two drugs. The analysis suggests that Lemtrada more effectively treated relapsing MS and was also linked to lower costs over a 20-year period. Aubagio studies also focused on long-term patient data, including in people with progressive forms of relapsing MS. Data from the Phase 3 TEMSO , TOWER , and the TEMSO extension showed that Aubagio stabilized disability progression in these patients over nearly a decade. Other presentations homed in on Aubagioā€™s ability to slow brain tissue loss and improve cognitive outcomes. Finally, Sanofi Genzyme shared initial data on its investigational antibody GLD52. The treatment is an updated form of Lemtrada, which scientists believe gives rise to fewer and milder infusion-related reactions. Data from the Phase 1 study , so far indicated that this might indeed be the case, as no severe reactions occurred in the 44 progressive MS patients in the trial. For a complete list of Sanofi Genzyme's presentations at the meeting, visit this link.

Lemtrada Prevented Progression of Multiple Sclerosis for Five Years, Study Shows

Two short courses of Lemtrada prevented multiple sclerosis from becoming active and progressing for five years, a study reported. Lemtrada's maker,Ā Sanofi-Genzyme,Ā said the study covered the two-year CARE-MS II Phase 3 clinical trialĀ (NCT00548405) and a long-term extension (NCT00930553) trial of people with relapsing-remitting MS. In addition to demonstrating Lemtrada's effectiveness, the study showed that it was safe, researchers said. The Phase 3 trial participants had had an active disease, with at least two relapses in the two years before the study and an inadequate response to earlier treatment. The trial compared Lemtrada's effectiveness with that ofĀ Rebif. The Lemtrada group receivedĀ 12-mg doses for five consecutive days at the start of the study and three consecutive days a year later. Ninety-three percent of the 435 patients who completed the trial enrolled in the extension, which followed patients for another three years. Remarkably, 60 percent of patients required no additional treatment after the two years of the Phase 3 study. Among the 376 patients who required more treatment, 30 percent had one additional Lemtrada course, 10.4 percent had two, and 1.6 percent had three. A small proportion of patients also received other disease-modifying treatments. The most common reason for additional treatment was relapse. Nevertheless, Lemtrada reduced annualized relapse rates to only 0.18 of patients by the fifth year. In addition, during the five years, 75 percent of patients experienced no worsening of their disability over six-month cycles. And 49Ā percent of patients' disability improved. Researchers also tracked patients' scores on the NEDA ā€” or No Evidence of Disease Activity ā€” index. The composite measure takes into account relapses, disease activity detected in MRI scans, and disability progression. In year five, 58 percent of patients achieved NEDA, slightly more than the 53 percent in year three. Another important finding was that patients' loss of brain tissue slowed in the first two years, and dropped further during the extension. Researchers also noted that adverse events dropped during the extension trial. Ninety-six percent were mild or moderate, and no patient left the study because of side effects. The rate of infusion-associated reactions was lower in the extension study than in the Phase 3 study. Patients who did have a reaction most often experienced headache, fever, or rash. Infections did not become more common with accumulating Lemtrada doses and, again, were less common in the extension trial. Patients most often developed colds or urinary tract infections. Autoimmune reactions against the thyroid gland were relatively common, however. Thirty-eight percent of patients developed them over the five years. Most were moderate in severity. Four patients developed various types of cancers. Researchers also examined Lemtrada in the CARE-MS I clinical trial and its extension trial. TheyĀ reportedĀ long-term outcomes and safety findings similar to those in the latest study. Overall, the newest results demonstrated that Lemtrada slowed disease progression over five years inĀ relapsing-remitting MSĀ patients who failed to respond to previous therapy.

Long-term Lemtrada Treatment Benefits Demonstrated in Extension Study

A five-year study demonstrated that Sanofi-Genzymeā€™s Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) provides long-term benefits forĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients, reducing relapse rates and preventing the progression of the disease. Importantly, most patients required only the standard two-phase treatment course. Few needed additional courses because of relapse or new brain lesions. The study,…

My Lemtrada Journey: At 9 Months, a Cane Tells a Tale

Back in May, when I updated everyone about my Lemtrada treatment at six months post-infusion, I began with a question my wife asked: “Do you think you’re walking better?” And, I thought IĀ was. Maybe. Just a little. I was walking a bit more smoothly, my left foot…

MS Therapies: What’s Hot, What’s Not

Ocvevus (ocrelizumab) is off to a running start, Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) leads the pills and the four injectable multiple sclerosis drugs are being used by fewer MS patients. But Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection) remains the leader of the pack of the disease-modifying therapies. Those are…

The Mouth that Roared

After 10-odd ā€• indeed, increasingly odd ā€• years, I presumed I’d become something of a gnarled hand at MS. If you read about something on practically a daily basis, you begin to think you’ve got pretty comprehensive knowledge of a subject. Sure, in the past, events happened that I…

Do MS Patients in the UK Get the Right Treatment Quickly Enough?

About two years ago, a report by the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform stated that only 21% of MS patients in the United Kingdom were receiving any kind of disease-modifying therapy. This is compared to 40% in France and 69% in Germany. Now, the U.K. branch of pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has published a report of its own, "The Missing Pieces." The report tries to answer, "Why is this so?" Here are some of the answers that were received online from a small group of healthcare professionals and MS patients: Nearly three-quarters of U.K. healthcare professionals think that people with MS face delays in starting on disease-modifying treatments (DMTs). Nearly one-quarter of MS patients there reported being unaware of some treatments that could help delay the onset of disability. Only half of people with MS say disability was discussed with their healthcare professional when they were first diagnosed, yet 69% of the healthcare professionals say it was discussed. Only a third of those patients say that "disability" is discussed in their regular MS appointments. Two-thirds of people with MS say that maintaining independence is their main treatment goal, followed by reducing relapses. The report also says that healthcare professionals believe the primary reason that DMTs are slow to be prescribed is lack of access in the U.K. to neurologists who specialize in MS. And, it says, 62% of MS specialist nurses and 47% of MS specialists thought this delay is also because of a shortage of healthcare facilities needed to deliver DMTs. Now, it needs to be noted that this survey involved only 100 MS specialist healthcare professionals and 120 MS patients in the U.K. And, as mentioned earlier, the survey was conducted by Sanofi, which claims to be the fourth largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Sanofi makes two big-time MS drugs: Aubagio (teriflunomide) and Lemtrada (alemtuzumab). Naturally, it has a vested interest in seeing that MS patients are treated with DMTs. (Full disclosure: I recently was compensated by Sanofi Genzyme to attend a meeting of "digital influencers" that the company held at its U.S. headquarters.) But drug sales aside, a case certainly can be made for treating MS patients with DMTs quickly after patients are diagnosed, and many drugs currently on the market have shown that they are able to modify the course of MS. And there's a case to be made about a need for better patient-healthcare provider communication. So, my question is: How do MS patients in the U.K. feel about access to DMTs? And to MS care, in general? Is this small report correct about the lack of knowledge by patients about their treatment options? Is it correct about the lack of MS specialists and resources in the U.K.? Do MS patients outside of the U.K. have similar concerns?

RRMS Patients at Risk of PML Can Safely Switch from Tysabri to Lemtrada

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) may be an effective option for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients withdrawing from prior treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab), an Italian study shows. The study, ā€œHigh-Risk PML Patients Switching from Natalizumab to Alemtuzumab: an Observational Study,ā€ appeared in the journal Neurology and Therapy. Tysabri, an antibody with…

Lemtrada II: My Right Foot (Hopefully)

Read John Connor’s previous column, “Lemtrada I: This Island Couch.” Apologies for the pic of my edemaā€“riddled right foot. If I put whiskers on it, my big toe could do a damn fine impersonation of a seal. On the bright side, a month ago it was twice this…

#CMSC17 – Lemtrada’s 2 Year Therapy in RRMS Sustains Efficacy for Over 6 Years Without Additional Treatment

Taking Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) for two years inhibitedĀ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) for more than six years, theĀ CARE-MS I clinical trial extension study found. Researchers presented their study,Ā ā€œDurable Efficacy of Alemtuzumab on MRI Disease Activity Over 6 Years in Treatment-Naive RRMS Patients With…