Multiple sclerosis patients who benefited from Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in two Phase 3 clinical trials continued to benefit when they extended their treatment, researchers reported. In fact, their annual relapse rates have fallen even further during the extension study than during the trials. The study, “Preliminary Results of the OPERA I and…

A multiple sclerosis (MS) patient treated in Germany with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) has developed the dreaded brain infection progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). But it is not clear whether the recently approved Genentech/Roche-developed treatment is the cause. The patient took the last dose of a three-year course of Tysabri (natalizumab) in February. Tysabri is…

In case you missed them, here are some news stories that appeared in MS News Today that caught my eye over the past week. Ocrevus Market Entry Already Changing Dynamics in MS Treatment Choices, Spherix Analysis Suggests   Are pills, shots, or infusions the therapy…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are largely moving away from injectable drugs and towards oral treatments when they switch from first to second-line MS therapies. But that might change with the introduction of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), which has become the drug of choice for many neurologists advising patients on drug switches. The real-world analysis by…

In case you missed them, here are some news stories that appeared in MS News Today that caught my eye over the past week. MSAA’s Dr. Jack Burks Responds to Readers’ Questions About Ocrevus and Its Use All over the internet MS patients are asking questions about…

Recently approved, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) should now be available nationwide for patients prescribed the therapy. But as with any new treatment, concerns about safety and practical issues are on many patients’ minds. Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Dr. Jack Burks — a neurologist and researcher who serves as chief…

The MS Wire is adding a third weekly item, beginning today. It’s a list of several news items that appeared in MS News Today over the preceding week and that caught my eye. Axim Signs Deal to Advance Clinical Trials of Cannabis-based MedChew Rx Gum to…

A multiple sclerosis (MS) trial now underway in Colorado is assessing the safety and tolerability of switching from Rituxan (rituximab) to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), and its lead investigator, Dr. Timothy L. Vollmer, largely expects no problems. The neurologist believes the two Genentech therapies — both antibody-based drugs that target the CD20 molecule on B-cells —…

Pamela Arterbridge noticed something was wrong back in 2013 when she woke up one morning, and her legs and feet were tingling. Two years later, Lorraine Lee knew she had a problem when her right leg became extremely fatigued after every workout. Neither realized their eventual diagnosis would be multiple…

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) may be more effective in preventing relapses in multiple sclerosis patients than the newly approved Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), according to a study presented April 28 at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2017 Annual Meeting in Boston. The study, supported by Sanofi Genzyme and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, compared…

Within the first two months of treatment, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) reduced relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients by more than half compared to those on Rebif, and almost completely prevented new brain lesions, according to data underscoring the drug’s rapid effects. Researchers from San Francisco-based Genentech and its Swiss parent…

New data on the recently approved multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) will be presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting 2017, which will take place April 22-28 in Boston. The meeting is the first scientific conference focusing on neurology since the U.S.

While many multiple sclerosis patients celebrated the recent approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), others argued that the drug is largely a rebranded version of rituximab. Rituximab — sold as Rituxan for indications like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and rheumatoid arthritis — is used off-label to treat relapsing MS. In online forums and social media,…

It’s been less than a month since Ocrevus was approved by the FDA, and the buzz hasn’t died down. Though there is some trepidation, the MS community is incredibly excited about what the new “game-changing” medication can do for patients all across the country. Here are just a few…

Pamela Arterbridge is one of 70 people at Ohio State University’s Multiple Sclerosis Center taking part in the open-label part of a clinical trial for ocrelizumab, now best known as Ocrevus.  She is a patient of Dr. Michael Racke, who is a pioneer in the field of B-cell treatments for MS,…

Texas firefighter Wayne Donovan is among the estimated 250,000 to 350,000 Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS). He enrolled in a clinical trial testing Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), which the  U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved as the first therapy for both relapsing and primary progressive forms of MS. Donovan was diagnosed in 2011 at…

With last month’s approval of the multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus, I’ve again heard the plea “But how can I afford it?” Ocrevus carries a price tag of about $65,000 a year. That’s not high compared to some other MS drugs, but it still can mean a higher…

There was much fanfare when the multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) finally was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week. Perhaps a little too much fanfare? For example, a story broadcast on the NBC Nightly News focused on a woman, apparently a participant in an…

A prominent neurologist, who was involved in early research into B-cell therapy, tells Multiple Sclerosis News Today about his positive experience of using ocrelizumab, now branded Ocrevus, with patients. Michael Racke, MD, Department of Neurology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center took time to talk with me about…

Ocrevus is a “fabulous” drug that does wonders for those who respond to it. That’s the view of an MS nurse practitioner in Florida, with whom I spoke this week. Tricia Pagnotta works at the Multiple Sclerosis…

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), now approved for both relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), is expected to become available in the coming week. While patients and neurologists are waiting, Multiple Sclerosis News Today spoke to Genentech about the treatment’s approval, future research plans, and what patients can expect in terms…

“Is the MS drug news good for u?” my friend’s text asked. It was Wednesday morning, March 29. Genentech had just announced  that Ocrevus, the “First and only approved disease-modifying therapy for primary progressive form of multiple sclerosis (PPMS) – one of the most disabling forms of…

Dr. Stephen Hauser, chair of the neurology department at the University of California San Francisco, was instrumental in the early research and later clinical trials that ultimately led to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the first therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for both relapsing MS (RMS) and primary progressive multiple sclerosis…

The past few days have been remarkable in the multiple sclerosis (MS) community, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving Ocrevus to treat relapsing MS (RRMS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS) in the United States. Ocrevus — adminstered intravenously every six months — is the first drug…

Here is a transcript of the Multiple Sclerosis News Today interview about Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) with Dr. Robert Lisak of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). Lisak, a professor of neurology and of immunology and microbiology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, is a former…

Interest in  Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the first FDA-approved treatment for both relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, is running high among patients and the organization representing them — as, arguably, are expectations of its use. But how do physicians involved in MS care view the newcomer? Dr. Robert Lisak (Photo courtesy…

History has been made because of a major breakthrough for multiple sclerosis sufferers everywhere. Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), by Genentech, has been finally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is the first drug treatment that includes my type of MS, primary progressive. This is what I’ve…

Today, my Pick of the Week’s News is devoted to various news stories, all published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today, about FDA approval of Genentech’s Ocrevus as an MS treatment. FDA Approves Ocrevus as 1st MS Treatment for Both Relapsing and Primary Progressive Forms Last week’s approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) by…

With the recent approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) for both primary progressive and relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), interest in the medication is peaking. To help readers of Multiple Sclerosis News Today better understand this new medication and how it works, as well issues dealing with access, use, and potential side effects, here is a summary…

Diplomat Pharmacy, the largest independent specialty pharmacy in the U.S., has been selected to dispense Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), a limited-distribution drug, to people with relapsing  and primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Ocrevus was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 28, becoming the first therapy approved for both RMS and…