OPERA

#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…

#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…

Ocrevus Approved in Canada to Treat Relapsing-Remitting MS

Health Canada has approved Ocrevus for the treatment of adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) with active disease, Roche Canada announced. The approval followed the positive results from the Phase 3 OPERA studies, which evaluated the safety and efficacy of Ocrevus in 825 patients with RRMS. The OPERA 1 and OPERA 2 trials showed that Ocrevus significantly reduced disease activity and disability progression of RRMS patients, with annual relapse rates falling by almost half. Moreover, Ocrevus outperformed Rebif, the standard of care in MS, in slowing worsening of disability and significantly reducing lesions seen on MRI scans over a two-year treatment period. "Ocrevus is a major addition to the treatment options available for MS. The RRMS Ocrevus clinical trial data show a significant reduction in relapses and disease progression, as well as a good safety profile," Daniel Selchen, a neurologist and head of the Division of Neurology at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, said in a press release. "For appropriate patients, Ocrevus will be of great value in reducing the burden of MS." The treatment's approval, however, did not extend to ā€” or mention ā€” people with primary progressive MS, in contrast to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's action in March, which approved Ocrevus for both MS forms. Health Canada did not give address PPMS in its announcement. Estimates are that 100,000 Canadians are currently living with MS, and most have the relapsing form. A number welcomed Ocrevus' arrival for what it offers in their fight against this disease.

Ocrevus’ Journey from Defiant Idea to Game-Changing Treatment

Twenty years ago, the idea that B-cell depletion could treat multiple sclerosisĀ would have been greeted with a hearty laughĀ byĀ any well-respected neurologist or MS researcher ā€” or perhapsĀ a scoff. But times change and research advances. Today, a medicine that gets rid of certain B-cells may beĀ the most powerful drug yetĀ developed against…

Full Transcript of Interview with Genentech’s Medical Director, Peter Chin, on Ocrevus

BelowĀ is a transcript of theĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ interview with Dr. Peter Chin ā€” principal medical director at Genentech ā€” about the importance of the pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a Biologics Licensing Application (BLA) for Ocrevus (ocrelizumab). An an indepth article on this interview,Ā lookingĀ Ocrevus…

#ACTRIMS2017 – Ocrevus Significantly Decreases Disease Activity in MS Patients, Study Shows

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), an investigational monoclonal antibody, significantly decreases disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and is associated with a higher proportion of patients reaching no evidence of disease activity (NEDA), according to a new analysis. The study,Ā ā€œNEDA analysis by epoch in patients with relapsing multiple…

#ACTRIMS2017 – 3 Trials Show MS Patients Receiving Ocrevus Had No Elevated Infection Risk

A detailed analysis ofĀ relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the three Phase 3 trials of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) showed that the treatment did not significantly increase their risk of infections ā€” serious or otherwise. Certain infections, including common colds and influenza, were numerically more common among Ocrevus-treated patients,…

#ECTRIMS2016 – New Data Show Ocrevus Effective in Treating Primary and Relapsing MS

Positive new dataĀ from Phase 3 clinical trials assessingĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) as a treatment for both relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) were recently announced by Roche, the company responsible for marketing and developing this investigationalĀ therapy. The results are being presented at the 32nd Congress of the…

#CMSC16 – Genentech’s Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) a Promising Therapy for Primary Progressive MS; Interview with Lead Researcher

Genentech,Ā a member of the RocheĀ Group, was founded more than 35 years ago and has been focused on a variety of research fields, includingĀ cancer, immunology, neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic diseases, and infectious diseases. Genentech has been committed to discovering and developing new medicines for patients with major diseases of the nervous…

Could Genentechā€™s Ocrelizumab Become the First Effective Primary Progressive MS Therapy?

Genentech, a leading biotechnology company and member of the Roche Group, recently announced promising results on a pivotal Phase III clinical trial (ORATORIO) assessing its investigational therapyĀ ocrelizumab as a treatmentĀ for patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that results from…