April 15, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Ocrevus Use Linked to PML in Man, 78, With PPMS, Case Report Says A 78-year-old man withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) developed the brain infection progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) after two years of treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), a recent case report detailed. Treatment was discontinued and, as the patient’s symptoms worsened, he was moved to off-label…
April 7, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Tecfidera, Gilenya and Ocrevus Losing Favor as Switch Therapies in US, Spherix Finds Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), Gilenya (fingolimod), and Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) are losing ground to more recent therapies among U.S. multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients switching treatment, according to the latestĀ Spherix Global Insightsā report. The launch of MS generics, bioequivalents, and new brands in the U.S. market over the past year has increased…
March 19, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Ocrevus May Delay by 7 Years PPMS Patients’ Need for Wheelchair Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) treatment may delay the need for a wheelchair by seven years in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ (PPMS), a study reports. This delay, drawn from clinical trial data on treatment- versus placebo-group patients and supported by real-world findings, likely translates to long-term benefits for PPMS patients,…
February 10, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Trial to Examine if Ocrevus Eases Cognitive Fatigue in RRMS Researchers at the Kessler Foundation, with support from Genentech, are opening a study into howĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) affects cognitive fatigue ā the feeling of complete exhaustion after focused concentration ā in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Cognitive fatigue is a frequent problem with MS, reported in…
January 19, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus Targets Pro-inflammatory T-cells, Not Just B-cells, in PPMS, Study Finds In addition to significantly reducing subsets of B-cells ā its main immune cell target ā Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) lessens pro-inflammatory immune T-cells in people with primary progressiveĀ multiple sclerosis (PPMS), a small study shows. Notably, the suppression of immune cell subsets thought to be involved in the abnormal immune responses…
June 1, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Two-hour Ocrevus Infusion Time Approved for MS Patients in Europe The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved a shorter infusion time for Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), an approved treatment for people with relapsing or primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The approval follows a positive recommendation from EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP),…
April 14, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus Use Still Growing in Europe But Challenges on Horizon, Spherix Reports Prescriptions ofĀ RocheāsĀ OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab) among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients initiating or switching aĀ disease-modifying therapy (DMT) continue to rise in Europe, according toĀ a surveyĀ conducted byĀ Spherix Global Insights. Ocrevus, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody administered directly into a vein,Ā was approved in the European UnionĀ to treat active forms…
January 16, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Scottish Medicines Consortium Approves Ocrevus for Treating PPMS Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) has been approved in Scotland as a treatment for early, inflammatory primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has advised that OcrevusĀ can be prescribed by the National Health Service (NHS) forĀ people with PPMS who have had symptoms for less than 15…
September 17, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Early Ocrevus Use Slows Disability in PPMS, Including Risk of Wheelchair Reliance Early and continuous treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) leads to a greater and more durable slowing of disability progression ā seen for up to 6.5 years ā in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), according to long-term data on its use in PPMS patients in a Phase 3…
September 12, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – 6 Years of Ocrevus Use Tied to Low Rates of Serious Infections Treatment for more than six years with OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab) is linked to lower levels of blood antibodies among people withĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and relapsing MS, but rates of serious infections also remain low, an analysis of data from three Phase 3 trials show. Dropping below a certain…
September 13, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Ocrevus Increases Proportion of PPMS Patients with No Disease Progression or Activity, Phase 3 Trial Shows TreatingĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ patients with OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab)Ā led to a three-fold increase in the proportion of those showing no evidence of disease progression and no signs of inflammatory disease activity over more than two years of treatment, results of a Phase 3 trial show, and support new measures that might better capture disability in PPMS patients. The research, āEvaluation of No Evidence of Progression or Active Disease (NEPAD) in Patients With Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in the ORATORIO Trial,ā was published in the journal Annals of Neurology. Measuring disease progression in clinical trials and clinical practice requires reliable and comprehensible measures. Although widely used, the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS, range 0-10) cannot fully capture changes in walking speed and hand or arm function, which are key determinants of overall disability in progressive forms of MS. No evidence of progression (NEP) is a newer measure that reflects the absence of disability progression, including upper limb function and walking speed. Maintaining NEP status means stable disease with no worsening in EDSS, in walking ability (assessed by the Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW) test, or the time it takes to walk 25 feet as quickly and safely as possible), and in upper limb function (assessed by the 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT), a test of arm and hand dexterity). Patients with PPMS have less frequent signs of disease activity, which include relapses and brain lesions (assessed though magnetic resonance imaging or MRI). So scientists proposed a new measure ā called āno evidence of progression or active diseaseā (NEPAD) ā to evaluate both NEP and clinical and MRI measures of active disease. The researchers believe that NEPAD may represent a more sensitive and comprehensive measure of disease control in PPMS patients. The randomized, double-blind ORATORIO Phase 3 trial (NCT01194570) analyzed the efficacy and safety of Ocrevus ā developed byĀ Genentech, part of theĀ RocheĀ group ā in 732 PPMS patients (age range 18ā55). Results showed that Ocrevus treatmentĀ delayed the relative risk of disability progression by 25% compared to placebo, while also reducing the volume of chronic brain lesions and total brain volume loss. As a result, Ocrevus became the first therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission for both PPMS and relapsing MS. Now, researchers assessed Ocrevusā effect in PPMS patients included in the Roche-funded ORATORIO study using as trial goals changes in NEP and NEPAD. These people received either 600 mg of Ocrevus or placebo by intravenous (IV) infusion every six months for a minimum of 120 weeks (about 2.3 years). The trialās main goal was time to onset of clinical disability progression (CDP) sustained for at least 12 weeks. CDP was defined as a 1.0 point or greater increase in EDSS score from a baseline (study start) score of 5.5 or less, or a 0.5-point increase from a baseline score greater than 5.5. NEP status, analyzed in 230 placebo- and 461 Ocrevus-treated patients, was defined as no evidence of CDP for 12 weeks, no 20% or more change in hand/arm function as measured by the 9HPT for 12 weeks, and no 20% or more change in walking ability as measured by the T25FW test for 12 weeks.Ā "The 20% cut-off for progression on the T25FW test and the 9HPT has previouslyĀ been shown to be a clinically meaningful magnitude of disease progression," the study noted. In turn, NEPAD ā assessed in 234 placebo- and 465 Ocrevus-treated patients ā included NEP, no brain MRI-measured disease activity, and no relapses.Ā Relapses were defined as new or worsening neurological symptoms attributable to MS lasting longer than 24 hours and preceded by neurological stability for a minimum of 30 days. Brain MRI scans were conducted at baseline, and weeks 24, 48, and 120; new or enlarging T2 lesions and/or T1 enhancing lesions were considered evidence of MRI disease activity (T1 MRI imaging offers information about current disease activity by highlighting areas of active inflammation, while a T2 MRI image provides information about disease burden or lesion load). Overall, the majority of the PPMS patients analyzed experienced clinical disease progression or evidence of disease activity. From baseline to week 120, Ocrevus-treated patients who achieved NEP (42.7% of 461 people) or NEPAD (29.9% of 465) Ā ā no disease activity or progression ā were found to have lower T2 brain lesion volume and a lower EDSS score (lesser disability) compared to those with evidence of MS progression. They also had a slightly superior performance on the 9HPT and the T25FW test. Patients who reached NEPAD also showed fewer T1 lesions than patients with progressing or active disease. Compared to placebo treatment, the proportion of Ocrevus-treated PPMS patients maintaining NEP or NEPAD from baseline to week 120 was higher ā for NEP, 42.7% versus 29.1% in the placebo group; for NEPAD, 29.9% versus 9.4% in the placebo group. These results showed that Ocrevus treatment increased theĀ proportion of PPMS patients with NEPAD throughout the 120 weeks of the study by three-fold. āIn conclusion, ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) increased the proportion of patients with PPMS with no evidence of progression and no clinical and subclinical disease activity compared with placebo,ā the team wrote. āAs such, NEPAD may represent a meaningful and comprehensive disease outcome in patients with PPMS.ā However, data from ORATORIO's open-label extension and real-world data are needed to "determine whether NEPAD maintained throughout 120 weeks will translate intoĀ sustained NEPAD and enhanced protection against accrual of disability in patients with PPMS overĀ the long term," the researchers concluded. Of note, five of the studyās 11 authors are employees and/or shareholders of Roche or Genentech.
May 3, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Ocrevus Shows Promise for Cognitive Function in Relapsing MS One thing weāve all hoped for with our disease-modifying therapies (DMT) is a treatment that will improve our multiple sclerosis (MS) and not just keep it from worsening. The latest studies presented on Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) hold promise that this treatment may have finally arrived. According to recent reports,…
May 1, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #AAN2018 ā Ocrevus Lowers Immune Response to Vaccines in Relapsing MS, Phase 3 Trial Shows Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā is linked to a reduced immune response to vaccinations inĀ patients with relapsingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a Phase 3 trial. These results were recently presented at the 2018 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual MeetingĀ in Los Angeles in a presentation titled, āEffect of Ocrelizumab on Vaccine Responses in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis.ā GenentechāsĀ Ocrevus is an approved MS therapy that targets the CD20 protein located on the surface of B-cells, targeting the cells for destruction. B-cells are immune system cells involved, for example, in the production of antibodies necessary to fight off infection. At the AAN meeting, researchers reported that in MS patients,Ā treatment with Ocrevus decreased the ability of B-cells to activate other immune cells, improving the rate of MS attacks. Penn Medicine neurologist Amit Bar-Or, MD, presented these findings, which showed that interactions between different classes of immune cells, such as B- and T-cells, promote MS attacks. Vaccination against infections is an important part of the management of patients with MS. So, in a second study (NCT02545868), researchers investigated the impact treatment with Ocrevus has on patient response to vaccines. They recruited 102 patients with relapsing MS and randomized them in two groups. In group A, 68 people received a single dose of 600 mg Ocrevus (administered into the blood); in group B, 34 patients received no disease-modifying therapy or interferon-beta. All patients were then administered vaccines for tetanus, seasonal flu, and pneumococcus.Ā Patients in group A received the vaccines 12 weeks after they were treated with Ocrevus, while group B patients received the vaccines on day one. Researchers also tested patientsā response to a novel protein (an antigen) never "seen" by their immune system, called keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) neoantigen. The vaccinations led to an immune system response in all patients, but the level of response in patients treated with Ocrevus was lower. A positive response to the tetanus vaccine at eight weeks after treatment was 23.9% in group A (Ocrevus) compared with 54.5% in group B (no treatment); the response to pneumococcus vaccination was 71.6% in group A and 100% in group B. After four weeks of treatment, the levels of antibodies against the different strains of the flu virus were lower in Ocrevus-treated patients than in the control group, ranging from 55.6% to 80.0% in the Ocrevus group compared with 75.0% to 97.0%Ā in the controls. The immune response to the neoantigen KLH was also decreased in the Ocrevus group. "This study shows that while people with MS treated with ocrelizumab [Ocrevus] can still mount vaccine responses, it's not nearly as strong as prior to treatment," Bar-Or said in a press release. "While antibody responses were reduced in the ocrelizumab treated patients, they still responded to a certain level," he said. "This is valuable information in terms of seasonal vaccines such as the flu ā it appears safe for patients taking ocrelizumab to get vaccinated and vaccination is likely to provide them with at least some protection from such infections." These findings correlate with standard guidelines that advise patients to undergo vaccinations six weeks before they start treatment with Ocrevus.
April 20, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #AAN2018 – Ocrevus Data Support Sustained Efficacy, Ability to Aid Cognition in RMS Patients Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) shows sustained efficacy and an ability to improve cognition in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data being presented byĀ Genentech, the drug’s developer. The company will detail these findings in a series of oral and poster sessions at the 2018 American Academy…
April 20, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #AAN2018 – Switching from Rebif to Ocrevus Improves MS, Extension Study Shows Continuous treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) or switching from Rebif (interferon beta-1a)Ā to Ocrevus leads to aĀ significant long-term reduction in relapsing multiple sclerosis activity, a two-year extension study shows. Ocrevus’s maker, Genentech,Ā drew the results from anĀ open-label extension of the Phase 3 OPERA trials. Researchers will present the findings at…
April 18, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #AAN2018 – Ocrevus Decreases Biomarkers of MS Patients’ Nerve Cell Damage, Phase 3 Trial Shows Genentech’sĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā reduces levels of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers that denote nerve cell damage in multiple sclerosis patients, a Phase 3 clinical trial shows. Researchers will present the results at theĀ American Academy of Neurology’s annual meetingĀ in Los Angeles, April 21-27. The presentation will be titled āInterim Analysis of the…
April 17, 2018 News by Larry Luxner 5 MS Patients Across US Talk About How Ocrevus Has Changed Their Lives Itās been a little over a year since U.S. regulators approved GenentechāsĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā as the first treatment for both relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) ā a disabling neurological diseaseĀ now believed to affect nearly one million Americans. While the juryās still outĀ regarding the therapyās…
April 16, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Adverse Effects Influence Patient’s Perspective of Ocrevus’s Effectiveness, Survey Shows Higher rates of adverse effects have a negative impact on a patient’s perspective about treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab),Ā according to aĀ survey conducted by the multiple sclerosis communityĀ GeneFo. About half of the 840 patient responses surveyed so far have reported improvements from Ocrevus. Those reporting none had a higher rate…
April 12, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski An Ocrevus Update Has Me Cautiously Optimistic After a delay in treatment in late December thanks to a nasty head cold, and the after-effects of contracting the flu in February necessitating another delay, I finally received my second six-month dose of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā in mid-March. Much like the first time, the infusion was uneventful. I had no…
April 5, 2018 News by Mary Chapman MS Path 2 Care Program Aims to Empower Patients to Be Active in Healthcare Journey In the first year after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) inĀ 1997, Ann Borsellino basically withdrew from life, rarely even leaving her bedroom. Knowing little about the disease, she assumed its relapses would soon rob her of any control over her body. They didn’t, and now Borsellino is involved with…
March 29, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Ocrevus Outperforms Rebif in Preventing Relapsing MS Activity, Analysis Shows Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) was more effective thanĀ RebifĀ (interferon beta-1a) at preventing relapsing multiple sclerosis activity, according to an analysis that covered two Phase 3 clinical trials. The comparison dealt with the therapies’ ability to generate and maintain a condition known as no evidence of disease activity,…
March 28, 2018 News by Larry Luxner Ocrevus a Year After Approval: Views of Some MS Experts A year after U.S. regulators approved Genentech’sĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā as the first treatment for both the relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, a prominent neurologist involved in the Phase 3 clinical trials that led to its authorization says it has been beneficial for some MS patients. But itās simply…
March 23, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias 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…
March 15, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD New Spherix Report Finds PPMS Treatment Increased Significantly in Past Year Since Genentech‘sĀ OcrevusĀ was approvedĀ a year ago, the treatment rate of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS)Ā has increased significantly. However, a closer look at the data shows that other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are equally responsible for this increase. The findings were reported byĀ Spherix Global InsightsĀ in their new study…
February 19, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD New Ocrevus Data, Post-FDA Approval, Supports Range of Benefits, Genentech’s Hideki Garren Says OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab), GenentechāsĀ humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, continues to show clear evidence that it helps to slow disease progression and enable better function ā including in the hands and limbs ā ofĀ relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), latest data reveals. TheĀ first FDA-approved therapy ā in March…
February 16, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Health Canada Approves Ocrevus to Treat Early Stage PPMS Patients with Active Disease Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) patients in Canada in the earlier stages of this disease can now be treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), followingĀ Health Canada‘s decision to approve its use with restrictions. Roche/Genentechās Ocrevus can be prescribed to adults with early-stage PPMS and characteristic signs of…
February 5, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Testosterone and MS, Ocrevus in the UK, Enhanced MRI Technology, Ublituximab Trial Results Researchers Identify Testosterone-triggered Molecule That Protects Men From MS This finding is an extension of research that has already indicated that a higher testosterone level reduces the chance of a person developing multiple sclerosis (MS). This new research focuses on a testosterone-related molecule that,Ā these…
February 2, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ACTRIMS2018 – Relapsing MS Patients With Impaired Vision Improved on Ocrevus, Updated Trial Data Show Ocrevus improved vision among relapsing multiple sclerosis patients who participated in the Phase 3 clinical trials of the treatment, according to updated analyses recently presented at the ACTRIMSĀ Forum 2018. While Ocrevus-treated patients improved their ability to read low-contrast letters over the course of the two trials, people who received Rebif (interferon beta-1a) did not. Laura J. Balcer, a neurologist at New York University Langone Medical Center, shared the data in a presentation titled, āEffect of Ocrelizumab on Visual Outcomes in Patients with Baseline Visual Impairment in the OPERA Studies in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis.ā Balcer had earlier shared data on the visual outcomes of relapsing patients in the OPERA I and OPERA II Phase 3 clinical trials of Ocrevus at the 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting in Paris, last year. The two studies āĀ sponsored by Ocrevus developer Genentech, a member of the Roche group ā Ā compared Ocrevus and Rebif in patients with relapsing MS. This time, her presentation focused only on patients who had visual impairment when they enrolled in the trials. Among a total of 1,656 participants, 375 of those treated with Ocrevus and 373 in the Rebif group had visual impairment. Researchers tested vision using a low-contrast letter acuity test. The test is similar to an ordinary vision test, with letters of different sizes on a chart. But the low-contrast test uses gray lettersĀ ā instead of black ā on a white background. Researchers included charts with two shades of gray to test different contrast levels. These tests can detect reduced visual function. At the beginning of the trials, both groups performed in a similar manner āĀ correctly identifying about 35 letters on a chart with somewhat higher contrast. After 96 weeks, those receiving Ocrevus identified on average 3.4 more letters, while Rebif-treated patients worsened by 0.5 letters ā a significant difference, Balcer said. Researchers tested vision every 12 weeks. At the end of the trials, they found that 39 percent more patients in the Ocrevus groups had a cumulative improvement of at least 10 letters, compared to those treated with Rebif. At this time, 26.4 percent of Ocrevus-treated patients improved 10 letters or more, compared to 19.8 percent in the Rebif group. The difference between the groups for at least seven letters was 54 percent, with Ocrevus-treated patients performing better. Researchers believe that a seven-letter change is the minimal clinically important difference for the test. Based on the results, researchers believe that the findings demonstrate Ocrevusā ability to reverse visual impairment in relapsing MS. The ACTRIMS Forum 2018 isĀ being held in San Diego, California, Feb. 1ā3.
February 2, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc MS Trust Seeking PPMS Patients’ Views on Ocrevus as It Tries to Obtain British Coverage Britain’sĀ Multiple Sclerosis TrustĀ is asking patients to help them getĀ the National Health ServiceĀ to cover Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) as a treatment forĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosis, or PPMS. The key step is trying to persuade the National Institute for Health and Care ExcellenceĀ to recommend that the health service…
January 22, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ocrevus in the EU, Salt and Cognitive Problems, Searching for Myelin, Tecfidera Tolerance European Commission Approves Ocrevus to Treat RRMS, PPMS Throughout EU This is a biggie. It’s been nearly a year since the FDA approved the use of Ocrevus here in the U.S. Finally, it’s been given the green light in Europe. Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and various countries in…