rituximab

Rituximab for MS may safely control disease in children, teens

Treatment with rituximab, an approved CD20 inhibitor that’s sometimes used off-label for multiple sclerosis (MS), was found to adequately control the neurodegenerative disease in patients diagnosed during childhood or adolescence, a new study showed. The therapy, given byĀ  infusion into the bloodstream, was generally safe and significantly reduced…

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…

WHO asked to add 3 MS treatments to its list of ‘essential medicines’

Aiming to promote equitable accessĀ toĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments worldwide, an international MS alliance is asking that threeĀ disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) be added to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines. Inclusion on the WHO list is considered an important if “initial” step in assuring that helpful treatments…

Rituximab Doses for MS Might Be Best Timed By Measuring B-cells

Timing doses ofĀ rituximabĀ by measuring B-cell counts is a more tailored approach to treatment, and it effectively reduces relapses and disability progression inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small study in patients with active disease. This tailored approach allowed patients to receive less frequent doses if their B-cell counts…

Marriage, Education, DMT Affect Patients’ Treatment Adherence

Among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), those who are married and have more formal education are more likely to take treatments as recommended, according to a new study from Iran. The study, “Effects of Disease-Modifying Treatments discontinuation in patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A 5…

B-cell-depleting Therapies May Increase Risk of Psoriasis

Reports of psoriasis ā€” an autoimmune skin disease that shares some biological processes with multiple sclerosis (MS) ā€” are disproportionally high among MS patients on therapies that deplete B-cells, according to a U.S. study based on patient adverse event data. Conversely, patients on Tysabri (natalizumab), glatiramer acetate (sold…

ProTEct-MS Trial Data Reinforce Previous Temelimab Studies

Higher doses of temelimab were generally safe and resulted in beneficial trends on key neurodegeneration markers in adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) who already were on rituximab treatment, according to top-line data from the ProTEct-MS Phase 2 clinical trial. While the studyā€™s small size…

#ACTRIMS2022 ā€“ Algorithm Predicts Relapse Risk Using EHR Data

Using a two-step machine learning strategy, researchers have developed an algorithm to predict the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse based on data gleaned from electronic health records. “The two-step machine learning model predicts a patient’s future one-year MS relapse risk with clinically actionable accuracy, comparable to other clinical…

Anti-CD20 Therapies Show Similar Safety, Efficacy in RRMS

Anti-CD20 antibody therapies that target B-cells are highly effective for reducing the risk of relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new analysis confirms. The analysis did not find any significant differences in efficacy or safety among the anti-CD20 therapies currently approved to treat RRMS, though…

Certain Factors Worsen Outcomes in MS Patients With COVID-19

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have more extensive mobility issues are more likely to have worse outcomes from COVID-19, a new study indicates. The study findings also indicate that COVID-19-associated outcomes are worse among MS patients who are Black, older, have heart-related diseases, and who were treated with…