January 10, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD After Tysabri, Ocrevus Seen as Better Than Gilenya at Preventing Relapse Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) may be more effective than Gilenya (fingolimod) at preventing relapse in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients who recently transitioned from Tysabri (natalizumab), according to a new study. Ocrevus is āpotentially a better exit strategy than [Gilenya] after [Tysabri] cessation, with an impressive reduction [in] risk…
November 16, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus Benefited RRMS Patients Who Responded Poorly to DMTs Most relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients switching to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) following suboptimal responses to other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) show no evidence of disease activity, according to final two-year data from the European-based CASTING Phase 3b trial. These clinical benefits, which entail no relapses or disease progression and no…
October 18, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 ā Early Ocrevus Slows MS Better Versus 2-year Delay Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13ā15. GoĀ here to see the latest stories from the conference. Early use of…
August 17, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus Effective in RRMS Patients With Poor Responses to Prior DMTs Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) safely and effectively prevents relapses and disease progression in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients who responded poorly to other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), final two-year data from the CHORDS Phase 3b clinical trial show. Notably, these benefits also were observed among patients who enrolled in the study…
May 7, 2021 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD Phase 4 Trial Will Test if Ocrevus Can Prevent MS Onset in RIS Patients Yale University is launching CELLO, a multicenter study to investigate the efficacy of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in treating people with lesions suggestive ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition known as radiologically isolated syndrome. The Phase 4 study (NCT04877457) aims to evaluate whether short-term treatment with Ocrevus can…
April 27, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – Early Ocrevus Treatment Helps to Protect Nervous System Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17ā22. GoĀ hereĀ to read the latest stories from the conference. TreatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) in its earlier stages with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) can substantially lower disease activity and lessen damage…
April 8, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mertk Gene Plays Key Role in Myelin Repair, Mouse Study Finds A gene called Mertk has important roles in the repair of myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects neurons and that is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings were published inĀ Cell Press, in the study “Multiple sclerosis risk gene Mertk is required for…
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 15, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: DMTs and COVID-19 Vaccines, Better Trials, Ocrevus, Spinal Lesions National MS Society Urges DMT Dosing Changes for COVID-19 Vaccinations The National MS Society has revised its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations first issued about a month ago. The guidelines still say the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are considered safe for people with MS, including those using disease-modifying therapies, or DMTs.
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…
December 15, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD FDA Approves Shorter Infusion Time for MS Therapy Ocrevus The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a shorter infusion time of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) for treating relapsing or primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Infusion refers to the slow delivery of a therapy directly into the bloodstream over a period of time. The decision shortens the twice-yearly infusion…
November 30, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: More Tysabri Benefits, Long-term Ocrevus Data, Trial Diversity, MS and the Gut Tysabri Affects Immune System Beyond Known MS Target, Study Finds Tysabri (natalizumab) slows multiple sclerosis progression by blocking some immune cells from entering the central nervous system, where they attack the myelin coating of nerves. Yet this study shows that Tysabri may also significantly reduce the number of proteins…
November 23, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Early Use of Ocrevus Best for Slowing PPMS Progression, Long-term Data Show Early and continuous use ofĀ OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab) significantly slows disability progression and delays the time until wheelchair reliance in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), new Phase 3 data spanning more than six years show. Findings fromĀ the ORATORIO trial, comparing immediate use with a two-year delay, support Ocrevus’ sustained…
November 9, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Age and DMTs, Tysabri or Gilenya, Sativex Trial, Ocrevus and Mayzent Phase 3 Trial of Sativex, Cannabis Extract Treatment for MS Spasticity, Opens in US This is a major step toward making a clinically tested, cannabis-based medication available in the U.S. I’ve always thought that medications containing a THC/CBD combination are useful to lessen some MS symptoms, but the lack…
November 2, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus Still Reigns for Progressive MS, Spherix Reports, But Challenges Noted GenentechāsĀ OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab) continues to be the most prescribed treatment for people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) amongĀ U.S. neurologists, according to the latestĀ Spherix Global Insightsā report. However, NovartisāĀ MayzentĀ (siponimod) āis beginning to close the gapā with Ocrevus among those with active secondary progressive MS…
October 7, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD 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…
September 24, 2020 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Restarting Rituxan: One Down, and a Lifetime to Go Last week, I again started my twice-annual infusion of Rituxan (rituximab). After 384 days without my disease-modifying therapy, my team decided I could no longer wait. In its absence, my symptomology had worsened. Halting progression trumped a pandemic, and with personal protective equipment in place, I begin…
September 17, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Early Use of Ocrevus Slows Thalamic Atrophy in Relapsing MS and PPMS Early use of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) significantly slows shrinkage of the thalamus ā a brain region involved in sensory and motor functionsĀ ā inĀ peopleĀ with relapsing forms ofĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) and primary progressive MSĀ (PPMS), according to new analyses from three Phase 3 trials that compared immediate use with a two-year…
September 11, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Roche Launches Phase 3 Clinical Program to Test Fenebrutinib Roche has launched a Phase 3 clinical trial program to evaluate fenebrutinib, its investigational oral BTK inhibitor, in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS). Data on fenebrutinibās potency and selectivity, as well as the design of the clinical…
September 11, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Progressive MS Trial of Kesimpta Not on Horizon, But Other Possibilities in Works Novartis is not planning to open a clinical trial ofĀ Kesimpta (ofatumumab)Ā as a potential treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) anytime soon, a company executive said. But it is well aware of the “unmet need” for therapy options among this patient group, and is exploring avenues. “We do…
September 9, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 ā No Evidence of Disease Activity Seen in Most RRMS Patients After Switching to Ocrevus, Data Show Switching to Genentechās OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab) following suboptimal treatment responses significantly lessens symptoms and leads to high rates of no evidence of disease activity in people withĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS), according to data from a Phase 3b clinical trial. That finding, as well as data about patients’ adherence and…
August 26, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Infection Risk Higher for Ocrevus Than Rituximab, But Cancer Risk Lower Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), a second-generation anti-CD20 antibody, may be associated with a greater risk of infections. But it carries a lower risk of cancer and immune reactions than first-generation rituximab inĀ people with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), according to a real-life study. The higher incidence of infections linked with Ocrevus’…
August 24, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Kesimpta, Ocrevus and Chickenpox, Generic Tecfidera, UTIs FDA Approves Kesimpta, B-cell Targeting Therapy for Relapsing MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Kesimpta (ofatumumab) this month is a pretty big deal. Kesimpta is a once-a-month injectable disease-modifying therapy. There’s nothing else like it, because Kesimpta targets B-cells in the immune system. Until now, only…
August 21, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Ocrevus Cancels RRMS Patient’s Immunity to Chickenpox Virus, Case Study Finds Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) eliminated the immunity, acquired through vaccination, to the varicella-zoster virus ā the virus that causes chickenpoxĀ and shingles ā in a man with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a case study reported.Ā …
July 20, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Roche and PicnicHealth Partner Around Data, Open FlywheelMS Study To speed research and work on more personalized treatments for serious diseases, Roche and its subsidiary GenentechĀ announced a partnership with PicnicHealth to access its collection of real-world data. Eligible adults with MS in the United States are also being invited to join a multiyear study assembling such…
July 9, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Disability Builds in Relapsing MS in Ways Not Tied to Relapses, Analysis Finds Disability appears to mostly accumulate in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a progressive manner ā rather than being due to relapses, a pooled analysis of patients in two Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) clinical trials shows. These findings, indicating that disease progression underlies relapsing MS as well,…
July 8, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Switch from Tysabri to Ocrevus Seen as Safe, Effective in RRMS Patients in Small Study Switching to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) within a relatively short period is a safe and effective option for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS) who stop treatment withĀ TysabriĀ (natalizumab), a small and retrospective analysis suggests. With a median washout period of six weeks between therapies, the 28 patients in this study…
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),…
May 12, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD COVID-19 May Not Be Severe in MS Patients, Early Data from Italy Suggest People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be at higher risk of developing a severe COVID-19 infection, according to preliminary data from patients in Italy. āAt the moment, these results seem to be quite reassuring for most people with MS,ā Marco Salvetti, MD, PhD, professor at Sapienza…