September 12, 2018 News by Diogo Pinto NICE Rules Against Bringing Ocrevus into NHS for Primary Progressive Patients in UK The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, better known as NICE, issued a final decision against includingĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) as a treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) in the subsidized public health system for England and Wales. The agency’s “final appraisal,” which mirrors its draft…
September 10, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: B- and T-cells, Tysabri, Sexual Silence How B-cells Work to Promote T-cell Attacks on Myelin That Lead to MS Detailed in Study I keep a close eye on reports about B-cells and T-cells because they’re the targets of Lemtrada, which is my current disease-modifying therapy. (The DMT Ocrevus targets B-cells alone). So, this…
September 7, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD How B-cells Work to Promote T-cell Attacks on Myelin That Lead to MS Detailed in Study B-cells in the immune system play an important role in the unfolding of inflammation and brain lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS), largely by how they influence the actions of another immune system cell, called T-cells, a new study reports. Its findings help explain why therapies…
September 4, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Ocrevus Predicted to Be a Billion-dollar Blockbuster Ocrevus, a disease-modifying MS treatment that’s only been on the market a little less than 18 months, appears poised to be a cash cow for its maker, Genentech. The research firm Spherix Global Insights, which analyzes trends in the pharmaceutical industry, predicts that Ocrevus is “poised to…
August 20, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson Deciding if Ocrevus Is Right When You’re Over 55 As a 61-year-old woman diagnosed in 2010 with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), I was overjoyed when theĀ U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the therapy Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in March 2017. Because Ocrevus is the first treatment approved to possibly slow the progression of PPMS, theĀ FDA’s green…
July 30, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Popular DMTs, Data Analysis Predicts MS, Remyelination Study Oral DMTs Still Common 1st Therapy for New MS Patients but Ocrevus Having Impact, Market Report Says Deciding on what therapy to use is a tough decision for people with MS and their doctors. That’s especially true for someone who is newly diagnosed. Do you go with…
July 27, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias A Fall, a Scratch, and an MS Lesson Learned In mid-July, the woman who writes the Multiple ExperienceS blog had a little fall. As Jamie explains, her rollator went forward, but her feet didn’t. The fall left a small cut on her knee. Over the next few days, Jamie’s knee swelled, and a trip to her doctor,…
July 27, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Oral DMTs Still Common 1st Therapy for New MS Patients but Ocrevus Having Impact, Market Report Says Oral disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are the most common first choice of treatment for people newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States, an analysis reports. Antibody-based DMTs like Ocrevus, however, are emerging competitors. Spherix Global Insights, a market research and analysis company, states that 1 in every…
July 16, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Fasting Study, ‘Bad’ T-cells, Brain Volume, Ocrevus in Scotland Missouri Trial to Examine if Fasting Alters Gut Microbiome and Immune System of RRMS Patients in Helpful Ways The impact of various diets on multiple sclerosis (MS) has been studied, but this new study will look into whether fasting has an impact. The researchers at Washington University…
July 13, 2018 Columns by John Connor Steering My Own Boat and Making a Splash The U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) turned 70 last week. In England, yes, we are mourning our semi-final defeat by Croatia in the World Cup, but to most of us, the NHS is the U.K.’s crowning glory. There are innumerable problems and proposed solutions involving the institution, yet…
July 12, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski My Sticker Shock From Ocrevus MS Clinic Bill I was talking on the phone with a friend who also happens to have MS. I warned her the extra noise was from me opening the stack of mail I’d been avoiding for a couple of weeks. I have my bills set up for auto-pay, so I was in…
July 9, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Medical Cannabis in Australia, Solvents and Common Pollution, Ocrevus and PPMS Medical Cannabis Favored to Treat MS Spasticity and Other Ills by Doctors in Australia, Survey Finds I’ve been thinking about using medical marijuana to treat myĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) spasticity ā specifically CBD oil. It appears that some healthcare providers would also think that’s a good idea. Most…
July 9, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD NICE Agrees to Add Ocrevus to NHS for RRMS Patients in England and Wales, But Scotland Will Not Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients with active disease may now be treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab, developed byĀ Genentech) within the National Health Service (NHS) ā the subsidized public health system that covers England and Wales. But those in Scotland will not. The National Institute for Health and…
July 3, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD NICE Opposes Ocrevus as PPMS Treatment in UK’s Public-funded Health System The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, known as NICE, has decided against recommending thatĀ Ocrevus be part of public-funded treatments for adults withĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). The National Health Service (NHS) is the subsidized, publicly funded healthcare system for England, with similar structures…
June 27, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD After Ocrevus Approval, New Therapies May Become Available for MS, Report Suggests Genentech‘s OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab),Ā approved in March 2017, has fueled a sea change in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.S., leading to an increased interest in disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for progressive forms of MS. Now, other potential treatment choices for progressive MS forms will likely…
June 20, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #EAN2018 ā New Guidelines for MS Treatment in Europe Set by EAN, ECTRIMS New treatment guidelines for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Europe were set in place through an initiative undertaken by the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) and the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS). Launched in parallel to the 4th Congress of the European Academy…
June 19, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #EAN2018 ā Ocrevus Lowers Relapse Rates Over Long Term and Better Than Rebif Does, Data Show Long-term treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) Ā ā as well as switching from Rebif (interferon beta-1a) to Ocrevus ā leads to a significant and sustained reduction in disease activity in relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). TheseĀ previouslyĀ reportedĀ findingsĀ are further supported by the latest results drawn from pooled data…
June 18, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD First Clinical Trial to Focus on Improving Hand Function in PPMS Patients Announced A new clinical trial will be the first in the world to recognize the importance of retaining hand function for wheelchair-bound patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS), according to a press release from Queen Mary University of London. The international trial, which will be conducted by a…
June 15, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #EAN2018 – Ocrevus May Delay Progression to Wheelchair by Up to 7 Years, New Analysis of PPMS Patient Data Shows Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) slows disability progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) in ways that may be of considerable importance to patients ā including the possibility of delaying the need for a wheelchair by up to seven years, according to new data from a Phase 3…
May 9, 2018 Columns by Cathy Chester The Agony of Decision-making when It’s Time to Switch MS Medications Iām agonizing over an important decision and it’s driving me crazy. Iām usually a quick decision-maker, but this one is tough. I have my analytical hat on, trying to look at my choices from a scientific standpoint. Unfortunately, my anxiety kicks in, and my hat…
May 3, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Ocrevus Shows Promise for Cognitive Function in Relapsing MS One thing weāve all hoped for with our disease-modifying therapies (DMT) is a treatment that will improve our multiple sclerosis (MS) and not just keep it from worsening. The latest studies presented on Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) hold promise that this treatment may have finally arrived. According to recent reports,…
May 1, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #AAN2018 ā Ocrevus Lowers Immune Response to Vaccines in Relapsing MS, Phase 3 Trial Shows Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā is linked to a reduced immune response to vaccinations inĀ patients with relapsingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a Phase 3 trial. These results were recently presented at the 2018 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual MeetingĀ in Los Angeles in a presentation titled, āEffect of Ocrelizumab on Vaccine Responses in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis.ā GenentechāsĀ Ocrevus is an approved MS therapy that targets the CD20 protein located on the surface of B-cells, targeting the cells for destruction. B-cells are immune system cells involved, for example, in the production of antibodies necessary to fight off infection. At the AAN meeting, researchers reported that in MS patients,Ā treatment with Ocrevus decreased the ability of B-cells to activate other immune cells, improving the rate of MS attacks. Penn Medicine neurologist Amit Bar-Or, MD, presented these findings, which showed that interactions between different classes of immune cells, such as B- and T-cells, promote MS attacks. Vaccination against infections is an important part of the management of patients with MS. So, in a second study (NCT02545868), researchers investigated the impact treatment with Ocrevus has on patient response to vaccines. They recruited 102 patients with relapsing MS and randomized them in two groups. In group A, 68 people received a single dose of 600 mg Ocrevus (administered into the blood); in group B, 34 patients received no disease-modifying therapy or interferon-beta. All patients were then administered vaccines for tetanus, seasonal flu, and pneumococcus.Ā Patients in group A received the vaccines 12 weeks after they were treated with Ocrevus, while group B patients received the vaccines on day one. Researchers also tested patientsā response to a novel protein (an antigen) never "seen" by their immune system, called keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) neoantigen. The vaccinations led to an immune system response in all patients, but the level of response in patients treated with Ocrevus was lower. A positive response to the tetanus vaccine at eight weeks after treatment was 23.9% in group A (Ocrevus) compared with 54.5% in group B (no treatment); the response to pneumococcus vaccination was 71.6% in group A and 100% in group B. After four weeks of treatment, the levels of antibodies against the different strains of the flu virus were lower in Ocrevus-treated patients than in the control group, ranging from 55.6% to 80.0% in the Ocrevus group compared with 75.0% to 97.0%Ā in the controls. The immune response to the neoantigen KLH was also decreased in the Ocrevus group. "This study shows that while people with MS treated with ocrelizumab [Ocrevus] can still mount vaccine responses, it's not nearly as strong as prior to treatment," Bar-Or said in a press release. "While antibody responses were reduced in the ocrelizumab treated patients, they still responded to a certain level," he said. "This is valuable information in terms of seasonal vaccines such as the flu ā it appears safe for patients taking ocrelizumab to get vaccinated and vaccination is likely to provide them with at least some protection from such infections." These findings correlate with standard guidelines that advise patients to undergo vaccinations six weeks before they start treatment with Ocrevus.
April 23, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ocrevus Experiences, Early MS Treatment Study, Cognitive Decline 5 MS Patients Across US Talk About How Ocrevus Has Changed Their Lives There’s high interest in Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), one of two disease-modifying therapies that have shown promise for reversing some multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. (The other is Lemtrada.) So, I’m including this article. Keep in mind,…
April 20, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #AAN2018 – Ocrevus Data Support Sustained Efficacy, Ability to Aid Cognition in RMS Patients Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) shows sustained efficacy and an ability to improve cognition in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data being presented byĀ Genentech, the drug’s developer. The company will detail these findings in a series of oral and poster sessions at the 2018 American Academy…
April 20, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #AAN2018 – Switching from Rebif to Ocrevus Improves MS, Extension Study Shows Continuous treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) or switching from Rebif (interferon beta-1a)Ā to Ocrevus leads to aĀ significant long-term reduction in relapsing multiple sclerosis activity, a two-year extension study shows. Ocrevus’s maker, Genentech,Ā drew the results from anĀ open-label extension of the Phase 3 OPERA trials. Researchers will present the findings at…
April 18, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #AAN2018 – Ocrevus Decreases Biomarkers of MS Patients’ Nerve Cell Damage, Phase 3 Trial Shows Genentech’sĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā reduces levels of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers that denote nerve cell damage in multiple sclerosis patients, a Phase 3 clinical trial shows. Researchers will present the results at theĀ American Academy of Neurology’s annual meetingĀ in Los Angeles, April 21-27. The presentation will be titled āInterim Analysis of the…
April 17, 2018 News by Larry Luxner 5 MS Patients Across US Talk About How Ocrevus Has Changed Their Lives Itās been a little over a year since U.S. regulators approved GenentechāsĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā as the first treatment for both relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) ā a disabling neurological diseaseĀ now believed to affect nearly one million Americans. While the juryās still outĀ regarding the therapyās…
April 16, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Adverse Effects Influence Patient’s Perspective of Ocrevus’s Effectiveness, Survey Shows Higher rates of adverse effects have a negative impact on a patient’s perspective about treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab),Ā according to aĀ survey conducted by the multiple sclerosis communityĀ GeneFo. About half of the 840 patient responses surveyed so far have reported improvements from Ocrevus. Those reporting none had a higher rate…
April 12, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski An Ocrevus Update Has Me Cautiously Optimistic After a delay in treatment in late December thanks to a nasty head cold, and the after-effects of contracting the flu in February necessitating another delay, I finally received my second six-month dose of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)Ā in mid-March. Much like the first time, the infusion was uneventful. I had no…
April 5, 2018 News by Mary Chapman MS Path 2 Care Program Aims to Empower Patients to Be Active in Healthcare Journey In the first year after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) inĀ 1997, Ann Borsellino basically withdrew from life, rarely even leaving her bedroom. Knowing little about the disease, she assumed its relapses would soon rob her of any control over her body. They didn’t, and now Borsellino is involved with…