scholarly journals Optimizing treatment strategies in paediatric, adult and late-onset multiple sclerosis

Brain ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (10) ◽  
pp. 2866-2868
Author(s):  
Cristina Gaudioso ◽  
Robert T Naismith

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Disease-modifying drugs can reduce disability progression in paediatric, adult and late-onset relapsing multiple sclerosis’, by Amato etal. (doi:10.1093/brain/awaa251).

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A Rudick ◽  
Nicholas LaRocca ◽  
Lynn D Hudson ◽  

The need for improved clinical outcome measures in multiple sclerosis trials has been recognized for two decades, but only recently has the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) created a pathway for qualification of new clinician-reported outcome (ClinRO) assessments. Additionally, drug development in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been extraordinarily active, with numerous disease-modifying drugs now on the market. This shifting therapeutic landscape, along with the unmet need for drugs to treat the progressive forms of MS and the changing expectations of clinicians, patients, and payers, have led to the call for more sensitive and meaningful disability progression measures. In response to these drivers, the Multiple Sclerosis Outcome Assessments Consortium (MSOAC) was launched. A public-private partnership, MSOAC aims to accelerate the development of new therapies for MS by generating new tools for measuring outcomes in clinical trials. At the first annual MSOAC/FDA meeting, a regulatory path was outlined for qualifying a new tool for assessing efficacy in registration trials of MS. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and FDA will provide parallel consultation and review. The consensus approach with engagement by all of the stakeholders, prominently including patients with MS, should also increase acceptance of the measure by clinicians and patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (18) ◽  
pp. 1255-1274
Author(s):  
Imtiaz A Samjoo ◽  
Evelyn Worthington ◽  
Christopher Drudge ◽  
Melody Zhao ◽  
Chris Cameron ◽  
...  

Aim: To compare the efficacy of ofatumumab to other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). Materials & methods: A network meta-analysis was conducted to determine the relative effect of ofatumumab on annualized relapse rate and confirmed disability progression at 3 months and 6 months. Results: For each outcome, ofatumumab was as effective as other highly efficacious monoclonal antibody DMTs (i.e., alemtuzumab, natalizumab and ocrelizumab). Conclusion: Ofatumumab offers beneficial outcomes for RMS by reducing relapse and disability progression risk.


Brain ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (10) ◽  
pp. 3013-3024
Author(s):  
Maria Pia Amato ◽  
Mattia Fonderico ◽  
Emilio Portaccio ◽  
Luisa Pastò ◽  
Lorenzo Razzolini ◽  
...  

Abstract An ever-expanding number of disease-modifying drugs for multiple sclerosis have become available in recent years, after demonstrating efficacy in clinical trials. In the real-world setting, however, disease-modifying drugs are prescribed in patient populations that differ from those included in pivotal studies, where extreme age patients are usually excluded or under-represented. In this multicentre, observational, retrospective Italian cohort study, we evaluated treatment exposure in three cohorts of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis defined by age at onset: paediatric-onset (≤18 years), adult-onset (18–49 years) and late-onset multiple sclerosis (≥50 years). We included patients with a relapsing-remitting phenotype, ≥5 years follow-up, ≥3 Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) evaluations and a first neurological evaluation within 3 years from the first demyelinating event. Multivariate Cox regression models (adjusted hazard ratio with 95% confidence intervals) were used to assess the risk of reaching a first 12-month confirmed disability worsening and the risk of reaching a sustained EDSS of 4.0. The effect of disease-modifying drugs was assessed as quartiles of time exposure. We found that disease-modifying drugs reduced the risk of 12-month confirmed disability worsening, with a progressive risk reduction in different quartiles of exposure in paediatric-onset and adult-onset patients [adjusted hazard ratios in non-exposed versus exposed >62% of the follow-up time: 8.0 (3.5–17.9) for paediatric-onset and 6.3 (4.9–8.0) for adult-onset, P < 0.0001] showing a trend in late-onset patients [adjusted hazard ratio = 1.9 (0.9–4.1), P = 0.07]. These results were confirmed for a sustained EDSS score of 4.0. We also found that relapses were a risk factor for 12-month confirmed disability worsening in all three cohorts, and female sex exerted a protective role in the late-onset cohort. This study provides evidence that sustained exposure to disease-modifying drugs decreases the risk of disability accumulation, seemingly in a dose-dependent manner. It confirms that the effectiveness of disease-modifying drugs is lower in late-onset patients, although still detectable.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 175628642092268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Patti ◽  
Andrea Visconti ◽  
Antonio Capacchione ◽  
Sanjeev Roy ◽  
Maria Trojano ◽  
...  

Background: The CLARINET-MS study assessed the long-term effectiveness of cladribine tablets by following patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Italy, using data from the Italian MS Registry. Methods: Real-world data (RWD) from Italian MS patients who participated in cladribine tablets randomised clinical trials (RCTs; CLARITY, CLARITY Extension, ONWARD or ORACLE-MS) across 17 MS centres were obtained from the Italian MS Registry. RWD were collected during a set observation period, spanning from the last dose of cladribine tablets during the RCT (defined as baseline) to the last visit date in the registry, treatment switch to other disease-modifying drugs, date of last Expanded Disability Status Scale recording or date of the last relapse (whichever occurred last). Time-to-event analysis was completed using the Kaplan–Meier (KM) method. Median duration and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated from the model. Results: Time span under observation in the Italian MS Registry was 1–137 (median 80.3) months. In the total Italian patient population ( n = 80), the KM estimates for the probability of being relapse-free at 12, 36 and 60 months after the last dose of cladribine tablets were 84.8%, 66.2% and 57.2%, respectively. The corresponding probability of being progression-free at 60 months after the last dose was 63.7%. The KM estimate for the probability of not initiating another disease-modifying treatment at 60 months after the last dose of cladribine tablets was 28.1%, and the median time-to-treatment change was 32.1 (95% CI 15.5–39.5) months. Conclusion: CLARINET-MS provides an indirect measure of the long-term effectiveness of cladribine tablets. Over half of MS patients analysed did not relapse or experience disability progression during 60 months of follow-up from the last dose, suggesting that cladribine tablets remain effective in years 3 and 4 after short courses at the beginning of years 1 and 2.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e043699
Author(s):  
Morten Riemenschneider ◽  
Lars G Hvid ◽  
Steffen Ringgaard ◽  
Mikkel K E Nygaard ◽  
Simon F Eskildsen ◽  
...  

IntroductionIn the relapsing remitting type of multiple sclerosis (MS) reducing relapses and neurodegeneration is crucial in halting the long-term impact of the disease. Medical disease-modifying treatments have proven effective, especially when introduced early in the disease course. However, patients still experience disease activity and disability progression, and therefore, supplemental early treatment strategies are warranted. Exercise appear to be one of the most promising supplemental treatment strategies, but a somewhat overlooked ‘window of opportunity’ exist early in the disease course. The objective of this study is to investigate exercise as a supplementary treatment strategy early in the disease course of MS.Methods and analysisThe presented Early Multiple Sclerosis Exercise Study is a 48-week (plus 1-year follow-up) national multicentre single-blinded parallel group randomised controlled trial comparing two groups receiving usual care plus supervised high-intense exercise or plus health education (active control). Additionally, data will be compared with a population-based control group receiving usual care only obtained from the Danish MS Registry. The primary outcomes are annual relapse rate and MRI derived global brain atrophy. The secondary outcomes are disability progression, physical and cognitive function, MS-related symptoms, and exploratory MRI outcomes. All analyses will be performed as intention to treat.Ethics and disseminationThe study is approved by The Central Denmark Region Committees on Health Research Ethics (1-10-72-388-17) and registered at the Danish Data Protection Agency (2016-051-000001 (706)). All study findings will be published in scientific peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant scientific conferences.Trial registration numberNCT03322761.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 030006052199957
Author(s):  
Fernando Labella ◽  
Fernando Acebrón ◽  
María del Carmen Blanco-Valero ◽  
Alba Rodrígez-Martín ◽  
Ángela Monterde Ortega ◽  
...  

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system whose etiology remains unclear. It has been suggested that MS can be triggered by certain viruses; however, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with reduced incidence of MS. We present the case of a young patient diagnosed with active relapsing-remitting MS whose clinical course substantially improved following HIV infection and treatment. The patient achieved no evidence of disease activity status without any disease-modifying drugs. Both HIV-induced immunosuppression and antiretroviral therapy may have attenuated the clinical course in this patient.


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