March 8, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD ACTRIMS 2024: Switch to Briumvi well tolerated in relapsing MS People with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) being treated with an infusion CD20 inhibitor such as Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) can safely transition to the more recent Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy), which is given in shorter infusion times. That’s according to data from the ENHANCE Phase 3b clinical trial…
February 14, 2024 Columns by Mike Parker Why I’m actually looking forward to a date with the MRI scanner As those of us with multiple sclerosis (MS) know, every so often a call comes or a letter arrives telling us we have a date with an extraordinary friend: the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. For me, it seems that time has arrived again. Just a few days…
January 8, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Ocrevus in real world may also help severely disabled MS patients Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) may stabilize disability progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have severe walking impairments ā a patient group excluded from clinical trials supporting the therapy’s 2017 approval ā a real-world analysis suggests. However, about half of those receiving Ocrevus in this study discontinued…
December 22, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD In pilot trial, Ocrevus failed to reduce MS inflammation in meninges Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) did not significantly reduce the number or volume of inflammatory lesions in the meninges in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent pilot study. While inflammation in the meninges, the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, is thought to be driven…
October 12, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ECTRIMS 2023: Under-the-skin Ocrevus found to be powerful in MS A new under-the-skin formulation of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) ā administered in 10 minutes ā is at least as effective as the approved intravenous, or into-the-vein, formulation among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new clinical trial data. Most people given either the new subcutaneous formulation or the intravenous…
October 2, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Most disability worsening on Ocrevus not tied to relapses: Study Among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), most of the disability worsening they experience is not associated with any relapse activity, according to an analysis of real-world data. “We present real-world data from our multiple sclerosis center underlining that in a typical population of relapsing MS…
September 26, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MS symptoms can fluctuate with Ocrevus, but ‘wearing off’ not likely People with multiple sclerosis (MS) under treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) commonly experience fluctuations in the severity of their symptoms ā but these changes aren’t related to the timing of Ocrevus infusions, a study reports. Although many patients on Ocrevus report a ‘wearing off’ effect between infusions, findings suggest…
July 14, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Positive results found for new under-the-skin Ocrevus formulation A new formulation of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), given as a 10-minute under-the-skin injection, was comparable to the approved intravenous version of the therapy in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to top-line results from a Phase 3 clinical trial. The medication’s developer, Roche, is planning to submit data from…
June 29, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Ocrevus keeps MS activity stable after stopping Tysabri: Study Switching from Tysabri (natalizumab) to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) does not appear to increase disease activity in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and stable disease, with most patients continuing to show no relapses or brain imaging findings one year after the transition, a clinical study shows.
June 27, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Review: Ocrevus best of 4 antibody therapies for progressive MS Among four antibody-based therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS), Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) works best to prevent disability progression and other measures of disease activity in people with PPMS, or primary progressive MS, a review study found. However, the medication is associated with an increased risk of infection, data suggested.
June 14, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ocrevus appears to be better than rituximab at preventing MS relapses Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) appears to be more effective than rituximab at reducing relapse activity in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), but disability progression outcomes are comparable between the therapies, an observational study of patients reported. “Study findings suggest that the effectiveness of rituximab on MS relapses was…
June 9, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Ocrevus best to prevent MS relapses after stopping Tysabri: Study Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) ā given by infusion ā may work better than certain oral treatments to prevent relapses and disability worsening in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who transition from Tysabri (natalizumab), a new study found. Individuals who switched to Ocrevus also were more likely to stay…
May 25, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Ocrevus reduces B-cells’ diversity, but not T-cells’, in relapsing MS Long-term treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) doesn’t change the diversity of T-cells ā those needed to mount effective immune responses against foreign pathogens ā in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a small study shows. Consistent with its mechanism of B-cell depletion, however, Ocrevus did reduce the molecular…
May 22, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Stem cell therapy may be better than some DMTs for highly active RRMS Stem cell therapy is better than Gilenya (fingolimod) or Tysabri (natalizumab) at reducing relapse rates and easing disability for people with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new analysis suggests. In contrast, findings suggest that the efficacy of stem cell therapy is not significantly different…
May 16, 2023 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Brain volume loss with Ocrevus similar to healthy aging: Study Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) reduces brain volume loss in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to levels similar to those seen in healthy aging, a small study reports. “These findings are consistent with an important role of inflammation on overall tissue loss and the role of ocrelizumab in…
May 1, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: Early use of Ocrevus lowers disease activity in relapsing MS Nearly half of the people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) treated early with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in Phase 3 clinical trials showed no evidence of disease activity after up to nine years on the therapy, data show. In contrast, about one-quarter of enrolled patients who started on…
April 27, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AAN 2023: No relapses on Ocrevus for 90% of Black, Hispanic patients More than 90% of Black and Hispanic patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in a Phase 4 clinical trial experienced no new relapse activity or sustained disability worsening after nearly one year, according to an interim analysis. However, more than half of these patients experienced…
April 14, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS High medical costs for MS patients starting Ocrevus, Lemtrada, Tysabri People with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to accrue more medical costs after switching to infusible therapies Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), Tysabri (natalizumab), or Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), according to an analysis of data from commercially insured patients in the U.S. “The overall healthcare costs for MS patients increased a lot…
April 5, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Findings may help optimize therapy for patients considering Ocrevus The way Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) affects immune cell profiles of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) varies depending on what treatments they were on previously, a new study shows. Understanding these differences could help to optimize treatment approaches for MS patients considering Ocrevus, scientists say. The study, “…
March 14, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Higher blood levels of Ocrevus lower confirmed disability progression risk Higher blood levels of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is associated with a significantly lower risk of confirmed disability progression during treatment in people with relapsing andĀ progressiveĀ forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis of data from three Phase 3 clinical trials. Notably, the lower disability progression rates reported in…
March 9, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ocrevus and early start with aggressive treatment favored in US Neurologists in the U.S. are generally favoring more aggressive early treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis by market research company Spherix Global Insights. With over a dozen therapies available in the U.S. to treat relapsing forms of MS, patients and providers have options to…
March 6, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2023: Delays in Ocrevus infusions not tied to greater MS activity People with multiple sclerosis (MS) being treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) less frequently than the recommended every six months are not more likely to experience inflammatory disease activity, an analysis of some 360 patients whose dosing schedules changed during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests. Nicole Bou Rjeily, MD, a postdoctoral…
February 8, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Ocrevus can be safe, effective for children with active RRMS: Study Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is a safe and effective treatment for patients under 18 with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a small study from Turkey suggests. Over about 2.5 years of the treatment, these pediatric patients experienced no relapses or MRI activity, and their disability level also improved, indicating…
January 25, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Ocrevus Limits Progression Equally in Black, White People With RRMS Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) seems to be equally effective at stabilizing disease activity in Black and white patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a U.S. study found. Disability levels and MRI disease markers remained generally unchanged over the two-year study in both groups, despite Black patients having more severe disability…
December 21, 2022 News by Joana Vindeirinho, PhD Ocrevus Reduces Disease Activity, Slows Progression in RRMS, PPMS Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) was equally effective in reducing disease activity after two years in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new study reports. The therapy also slowed disease progression in both groups, although a stronger effect was seen with RRMS patients…
December 5, 2022 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Newer Neurologic Therapies Costly, Less Likely to Be Used Fewer than 1 in 5 people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) or 10 other neurological conditions in the U.S. are on new-to-market medications. Thatās according to a large data study funded by the American Academy of Neurology, which also linked more recently available treatments ā those approved in the…
November 28, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Switching to Ocrevus Over Other MS Therapies Means Fewer Relapses People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) whoĀ switch to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) after discontinuing Gilenya (fingolimod) have fewer relapses than those who switch to Mavenclad (cladribine) orĀ Tysabri (natalizumab), according to a new study. Rates of disability worsening were similar for Ocrevus and Tysabri, but patients who switched…
November 3, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD #ECTRIMS2022 ā Ocrevus Seems to Beat Rituximab in Reducing Relapses Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), an anti-CD20 therapy developed by Genentech, seems to be superior to rituximab at lowering relapse rates among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to data from two large MS registries. Overall, the findings suggest that rituximab cannot be considered just as good as ā…
November 2, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2022 ā Analyses Weigh Stem Cell Transplant Versus DMTs Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) is superior to Gilenya (fingolimod) and Tysabri (natalizumab) at preventing relapses and reducing disability in people with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). In turn, aHSCT appears to be as effective as Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in RRMS patients and also was…
October 27, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2022 ā Study Examines Ocrevus Use Before, During Pregnancy Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) before or during pregnancy does not seem to increase the risk of major pregnancy or infant complications, with 79% of the pregnancies leading to live births, according to data from more than 2,000 women with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). The results were shared at the 38th…