FDA Approval of Ublituximab, Now Briumvi, Is Good News

Columnist Ed Tobias reacts to the latest DMT approval

by Ed Tobias | January 6, 2023

The new year is bringing a new disease-modifying therapy (DMT) to the multiple sclerosis (MS) arsenal. Shortly after Christmas, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Briumvi (ublituximab), which joins a small group of DMTs that aim to halt MS progression by knocking out certain B-cells in the immune system.

Why B-cells?

B-cells remember past threats to the immune system so that invaders, like viruses, can be stopped quickly. But some B-cells, carrying a protein called CD20, can also spark certain T-cells to proliferate. When that happens, these T-cells can attack healthy cells in the central nervous system and cause the inflammation and demyelination that are characteristic of MS.

Greater potency means shorter infusions

Briumvi was engineered to be more potent than other anti-CD20 therapies, allowing for lower doses and shorter infusion times. A 450-mg infusion, delivered twice a year, takes only about an hour. That schedule and the short treatment time is a big deal in terms of life quality, particularly for young, busy people with MS.

Other DMTs approved by the FDA that attack CD20 B-cells are Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Kesimpta (ofatumumab). Ocrevus requires a twice-yearly, four-hour infusion of 600 mg. Kesimpta is a monthly 20-mg injection. As someone who has been treated with injections, and both one-hour and eight-hour infusions, my preference is hour-long infusions.

“The approval of Briumvi is wonderful news,” said June Halper, CEO of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers,” in a press release from Briumvi’s developer, TG Therapeutics. “MS is most frequently diagnosed during the prime of a person’s life when they are just starting a career or beginning a family. The availability of anti-CD20s has launched a new era of high efficacy therapies for multiple sclerosis.”

A welcome addition

Briumvi should be available in the first quarter of this year. It will join about 20 other DMTs of varying benefits, side effects, and efficacy levels. I think this new, high-efficacy DMT, which has relatively minor side effects — such as infusion-related reactions, respiratory tract infections, herpes virus-associated infections, pain, insomnia, and fatigue — is worth discussing with your neurologist if you’re about to start, or are considering switching, a DMT.

You’re invited to visit my personal website at www.themswire.com.

Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today or its parent company, BioNews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.

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About the Author

Ed Tobias People say to write what you know and Ed Tobias knows about MS. He's lived with the illness since 1980, when he was 32 years old. Ed's a retired, award-winning broadcast journalist and his column combines his four decades of MS experiences with news and comments about the latest in the MS community. In addition to writing his column, Ed is one of the patient moderators on the MS News Today Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sites. He’s also the author of “The Multiple Sclerosis Toolbox: Hints and Tips for Living with M.S.” Ed and his wife split their time between the Washington, D.C. suburbs and Florida’s Gulf Coast, trying to follow the sun.

Comments

Tim Smith

What do we know about the comparative efficacy of the CD20 B Cell treatments

Ed Tobias

Hi Tim,

There hasn't been much written about this subject, but here's a study that was done two years ago.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9246073/

GARY Broaddus

Is that for ppms

Ed Tobias

Hi Gary,

Unfortunately, no. It's only approved for clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting, and active secondary progressive MS.

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