anti-CD20 therapies

Anti-CD20s effective MS therapy switch from Tysabri: Review

Switching to one of the anti-CD20 targeting therapies Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) or rituximab may be an effective strategy for discontinuing Tysabri (natalizumab) treatment inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients at risk for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), according to a systematic review. The study, ā€œSwitching from natalizumab to an…

COVID Booster May Benefit Patients on Anti-CD20 Therapy

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with weak immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines are more likely to respond successfully to the booster shot if they are receiving an anti-CD20 therapy compared with those on Gilenya (fingolimod), according to a small study in Norway. These early findings suggest that booster shots…

More Answers About COVID-19 Vaccines and MS

A little over a year ago, I wrote about whether people with multiple sclerosis (MS) should get a COVID-19 vaccine. I was anxious to be vaccinated as soon as I could, but I was also concerned about how the vaccines would affect someone with MS. Would the side effects…

Rituximab Seen to Affect How B-cells Return After Treatment Stops

Rituximab, an investigational B-cell depletion therapy that target CD20 to treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS),Ā has significant effects on the characteristics of B-cells that return after treatment is stopped, with cells being less mature yet more activated toward a pro-inflammatory state, a study showed. Treatment also…

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Solution for Lemtrada Complications, CBD Infusions, Vaccines and MS, Music and Exercise

Autoimmune Complications Associated with Lemtrada Solved Using Anti-CD20 Therapies, Case Studies Suggest One of the concerns about the disease-modifying therapy (DMT) Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) is that it may raise the patient’s risk of developing a secondary autoimmune disease within seven years post-treatment. This small study suggests that the abnormal proliferation…

Autoimmune Complications Associated with Lemtrada Solved Using Anti-CD20 Therapies, Case Studies Suggest

Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS) patients treated with LemtradaĀ (alemtuzumab) may develop additional (secondary) autoimmune reactions. Anti-CD20 therapies, including rituximabĀ or Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), are a potential treatment for Lemtrada-associated autoimmune complications in patients who fail to respond to other conventional immunotherapies, according to a case report about two women in…