March 5, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2024: Evobrutinib fails to show superiority to Aubagio in Phase 3 trials The experimental BTK inhibitor evobrutinib was no better than Aubagio (teriflunomide) at preventing relapses, reducing brain lesions, or slowing disability progression in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from two Phase 3 trials. Both medications had generally similar safety profiles, although increases…
December 18, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD US neurologists favorably view BTK inhibitors as potential MS therapies More than one-third of neurologists in the U.S. believe Brutonās tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors could be of pivotal significance as a future treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to findings of a recent Spherix Global Insightsā survey. āThrough Spherixās quarterly RealTime Dynamix market tracker, neurologists…
December 7, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Phase 3 studies of BTK inhibitor evobrutinib fail to meet main goal The Phase 3 EVOLUTION clinical trials have failed to demonstrate that evobrutinib is more effective than the approved medication Aubagio (teriflunomide) at preventing disease flares in people with relapsing types of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings, which were shared by the drug’s developer Merck KGaA (known…
April 13, 2023 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD FDA puts partial hold on trials of Merck KGaA’s evobrutinib in MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed a partial clinical hold on ongoing trials of evobrutinib, Merck KGaA’s experimental BTK inhibitor for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The decision was based on two cases of patients in Phase 3 clinical trials of evobrutinib who were…
February 23, 2023 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Evobrutinib safely keeps relapse rates low after 4 years Evobrutinib, an experimental BTK inhibitor being developed for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), continues to be well tolerated and is showing low relapse rates after four years of treatment. That’s according to new data spanning a Phase 2 trial (NCT02975349) that tested evobrutinib against…
November 4, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD #ECTRIMS2022 ā 3-year Data Show Evobrutinib Safely Lowers Relapses Long-term use of the investigational BTK inhibitor evobrutinib among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) continues to maintain MS relapse rates, and keep MRI lesion activity low. That’s according to up to 3.5 years of data from a Phase 2 trial (NCT02975349) and its open-label…
April 22, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Chinese Authorities Approve Trial of SN1011; US Study on Horizon The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China has agreed to approve a Phase 2 trial testing the safety and efficacy of the investigational therapy SN1011 in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). SN1011 is being developed by SinoMab Bioscience to treat a range of autoimmune and inflammatory…
April 5, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #AAN2022 ā Long-term Evobrutinib Safe, Effective in Relapsing MS Long-term treatment with evobrutinib safely and effectively reduces the rate of relapses in adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to 2.5 years of data from a Phase 2 extension study. These findings ā supporting evobrutinibās therapeutic potential in relapsing MS ā were shared in an…
March 3, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ACTRIMS2022 ā Tolebrutinib More Potent Than Other BTK Blockers Tolebrutinib, an investigative inhibitor of Brutonās tyrosine kinase (BTK) being developed byĀ SanofiĀ to treat all forms ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), shows the potential to be more potent than other BTK inhibitors also in advanced clinical trials, scientists reported. The findings, based on preclinical data, were shared at the Americas…
February 28, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ACTRIMS2022 ā In New Mouse Model, Evobrutinib Shows Efficacy Researchers developed a new mouse model that more closely captures a specific type of inflammation characteristic of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) ā and found, in experiments, that treatment with an oral medicationĀ called evobrutinibĀ can lessen disease activity. This new mouse model may help scientists in MS to better study…
October 11, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Deep Brain Stimulation, Evobrutinib, Hydroxychloroquine, Ocrevus and PML Deep Brain Stimulation May Help With MS-associated Tremors Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been used to treat people with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, and in some cases, those with MS who have severe tremors, when other treatments have failed. The treatment involves implanting electrodes in the brain so…
October 6, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ECTRIMS2021 ā Trial Analyses Support Evobrutinib for Relapsing MS Treatment with evobrutinib, an experimental therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), reduced the size of inflammation-associated brain lesions in a Phase 2 clinical trial, data show. The oral medication was also found to be generally safe and well tolerated, according to an analysis of trial data in…
July 30, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Could BTK Inhibitors Be the Next Big MS Treatment? Is orelabrutinib one of the next big MS therapies? Biogen is betting at least $125 million that it is. Orelabrutinib is an experimental oral BTK inhibitor (BTKi). BTKi’s are designed to selectively block an enzyme that’s important for the activation of B-cells and microglia. Some of those immune cells…
February 22, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Tysabri, Evobrutinib, Diet Study, Rituximab Drop in PML With Tysabri Use in Sweden Likely Due to Risk Management Plan I’m JCV-positive, so I’m at risk for PML if I’m being treated with Tysabri. And I was treated with Tysabri for seven years without a problem. That, I believe, is because my neurologist carefully followed…
February 18, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS EVOLUTION Trials Testing Evobrutinib Now Recruiting Two global Phase 3 clinical trials testing the investigational oral medication evobrutinib are recruiting participants with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The two identically-designed trials āĀ EVOLUTION RMS 1 (NCT04338022) and EVOLUTION RMS 2 (…
September 10, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – New Safety, Efficacy Data on Mavenclad, Rebif and Evobrutinib on Way EMD Serono will present new data from programs assessing the efficacy and safety of Mavenclad (cladribine) andĀ Rebif (interferon beta-1a), as well as investigative evobrutinibĀ in treatingĀ relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) at the MSVirtual2020 meeting. FindingsĀ are part of 54 abstracts being presented by EMD Serono,…
May 26, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Evobrutinib Lowers MS Relapse Rates Over 2 Years of Use, Trial Data Show Note: This story was updated May 27, 2020, to note a change in the protocol of the EVOLUTION trials, which are now comparing evobrutinib with Aubagio, rather than Avonex, along with updated NCT numbers. The investigational oral medication evobrutinib leads to a sustained reduction in relapse rates…
September 23, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS EMD Serono Opening Phase 3 Trials of Oral Evobrutinib in Relapsing MS Patients EMD Serono (Merck KGaA in Germany) is opening two pivotal and global Phase 3 clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of oral evobrutinibĀ in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). Evobrutinib, also known as M2951, works by blocking a protein called Brutonās tyrosine kinase (BTK), which is…
May 20, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM ā Evobrutinib Continues to Show Potential for MS, 48-week Phase 2 Data Suggest Investigational therapy evobrutinib, also known as M2951, can reduce relapse rates and brain lesions in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), 48-weekĀ data from a Phase 2 clinical trial suggest. Updated results from the trial (NCT02975349) were presented at the recent 2019 annual…
March 4, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ACTRIMS2019 – Evobrutinib Significantly Reduces Brain Lesions in Relapsing MS, Phase 2 Trial Shows Evobrutinib, Merck KGaAās oral candidate for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), is safe and can significantly reduce active brain lesions overĀ 24 weeks of treatment, results of ongoing Phase 2 study show. Xavier Montalban, PhD, MD, withĀ Vall d’Hebron University HospitalĀ in Barcelona, presented the results in the talk āPrimary…
October 17, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2018 – Evobrutinib Seen to Lower Active Brain Lesions in Phase 2 Trial Merck KGaA announced that evobrutinib, its oral candidate for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), was able to safely and significantly reduce active brain lesions overĀ 24 weeks of treatment, according to results of a Phase 2 study sponsored by the company.
October 16, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2018 – Evobrutinib and Other Reasons for Hope in Pursuit of MS Treatments, Jerry Wolinsky Says in Interview Advances in multiple sclerosisĀ research and the development of new treatments over the last several decades give sustained reasons for hope as continue moving toward our future, according toĀ Jerry S. Wolinsky, a neurologist and MS specialist whose career spans more than 40 years. In a wide-ranging interview with Multiple…
October 10, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #ECTRIMS2018 ā Merck KGaA to Present Latest Data on MS Portfolio Merck KGaA will present the latest advances made on several of its therapies aiming to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) at the 34th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research In Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS). The conference is taking place through Friday in Berlin. The company, known as…
October 4, 2018 News by BioNews Staff #ECTRIMS2018 – Emerging MS Treatments, from Cannabinoids to Diet, Among Highlights at Conference Thousands of scientists, doctors, pharmaceutical company executives and others ā representing about 100 countries ā will meet for three days to discuss and debate the latest developments in multiple sclerosis (MS) at the 34th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, best known as…
March 9, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Merck’s MS Therapy Evobrutinib Significantly Reduces Brain Lesions, Phase 2 Trial Shows Merck KGaA’sĀ evobrutinib led to significant reductions in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients’ brain and spinal cord lesions, compared with a placebo, a Phase 2b clinical trial showed. Researchers measured the number of lesions at weeks 12, 16, 20 and 24. Evobrutinib, also known as M2951, is an oral inhibitor of…