April 15, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Ocrevus Use Linked to PML in Man, 78, With PPMS, Case Report Says A 78-year-old man withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) developed the brain infection progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) after two years of treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), a recent case report detailed. Treatment was discontinued and, as the patient’s symptoms worsened, he was moved to off-label…
April 12, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Predicting Progression, DMT Costs, MS Rates Retinal Layer Thickness May Predict MS Progression, Relapses We all know how unpredictable MS is. For some, it progresses very quickly, while for others, it follows a slow progression over many years. Wouldn’t it be nice if we knew the course our disease is likely to follow, right from…
April 9, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Overall Cost of DMTs Stable 2018ā2020, Study Finds The overall cost of disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. remained stable from 2018 to 2020, according to pharmacy and medical claims data from Prime Therapeuticsā insured members. This stabilization derived from a balance between a reduction in Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection) use due…
April 7, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Tecfidera, Gilenya and Ocrevus Losing Favor as Switch Therapies in US, Spherix Finds Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), Gilenya (fingolimod), and Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) are losing ground to more recent therapies among U.S. multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients switching treatment, according to the latestĀ Spherix Global Insightsā report. The launch of MS generics, bioequivalents, and new brands in the U.S. market over the past year has increased…
March 26, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Ocrevus and PML: Should We Be Worried? The journal JAMA Neurology recently reported that a 78-year-old man with progressive multiple sclerosis died after being diagnosed with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a brain disease. The man, diagnosed with MS about 30 years ago, had been treated for two years with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), and had no previous…
March 22, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Ponvory, Ocrevus, COVID-19 Survey, Ampyra Ponvory (ponesimod) Approved for Adults With Relapsing Forms of MS Add one more medication to the disease-modifying therapy (DMT) arsenal. Ponvory is a once-a-day pill that aims to reduce immune system activity. It’s similar to Aubagio (teriflunomide), which I used for about two years, and which I believe helped…
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 25, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Nanocrystals, ‘Cog Fog,’ Mapping MS, Ocrevus Clene Awaits US Patent Covering Gold Nanocrystalsā Use in Treating MS This is a different approach to MS treatment. It uses very tiny crystals to produce a chemical reaction. It is hoped that this reaction will protect neurons and help to generate myelin. So far, there have only been…
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 30, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias Will Reduced Treatment Time Keep Ocrevus Competitive? One of the key considerations when choosing a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) is how much it will disrupt your life. It’s one of several factors that need to be evaluated. Unlike shots and pills, infusion treatments can require a significant amount of time. That’s why the U.S. Federal Drug Administration’s December…
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 30, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Rituximab, Ocrevus Linked to Higher Risk of Worse COVID-19 Outcomes The use of certain disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) such asĀ rituximabĀ andĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), which lower the number of a patient’s immune B-cells,Ā may increase the odds of developing a more severeĀ COVID-19 disease course for people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. The study, which includes data from the…
September 22, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Gilenya Remains Favorite S1P Receptor Modulator in US, But Zeposia May Catch Up, Survey Finds Among oral sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators for multiple sclerosis (MS), Novartisās GilenyaĀ (fingolimod) remains physiciansā favorite in the U.S., but prescriptions of recently-launched Bristol Myers Squibbās Zeposia (ozanimod) are beginning to rise,Ā according to a survey conducted by Spherix Global Insights. Also, COVID-19Ā not…
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 31, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Paramagnetic Lesions, Mavenclad, Relapses in Children, Ocrevus and Rituximab Paramagnetic Rim Lesions Showing Promise as Diagnostic Marker of MS About a year ago, researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health reported that the presence of chronic active lesions in the brain may provide a clue as to how quickly multiple sclerosis symptoms will progress. They called them…
August 28, 2020 Columns by John Connor There’s No Business Like Show Business ā Till There’s No Business In June, I wrote a column about accepting I’d have to physically retire from directing and producing my own stand-up stage show, “The Edge.” Now, because of that which cannot be named, the show is also being retired just short of its 30-year anniversary! Our very…
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 …
August 14, 2020 Columns by John Connor Relapse, Relapse, Relapse, Profanity, Relapse Maybe I should have called this one “Short and Sharp 2.” Yes, I’ve had another relapse, following my last one in May. I can no longer clean my own tail, and the present regime is literally to “s**t the bed!” I’m using a lot of exclamation points here,…