In the UK ocrelizumab, an anti-CD20, is licensed for the treatment of Primary Progressive MS (PPMS) and Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS). Rituximab, although not licensed for use in MS in the UK is also an anti-CD20 therapy with immunosuppressive properties. The two are matched in their efficacy in terms of reduction in disease progression (see Figure below) and serum neurofilament (sNfL) in PPMS...
Not so much of a cure then? Anti-CD20s fall short of the finish line.
Drum roll please!…. It was only a matter of time before someone designed this experiment. Albeit, it’s in an animal model, but the content is still by far the juiciest I’ve seen in MS research this year. The major finding of this work is that depleting B cells alone using anti-CD20s doesn’t get rid of all inflammation in the neuronal tissue. The authors of this work...
What you can’t pick in MS
“Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely” – Roy T Bennett, The Light in the Heart. Unfortunately, you can’t pick your race or whether you get MS, nor whether you have to deal with both. Racial differences in treatment response for health conditions is not a novel concept. When I was a trainee I was taught that it was harder to control blood pressures in African...
The B-cell line up
Figure: Anti-CD20s (A) rituximab (yellow), (B) ocrelizumab (red), (C) ofatumumb (green), (D) ublituximab (brown) The B-cell line up for MS now reads: rituximab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab, and ublituximab. A fair number of you believe that these four treatments embody some magical powers, but I am about to demystify some of these beliefs and explain the science behind them. The three main take away...
The tortoise has finally arrived
The FDA has just approved ofatumumab for patients with relapsing MS. See Novartis’ press release below. Ofatumumab delivers powerful efficacy with a favorable safety profile and can be self-administered at home, addressing significant unmet needs for people living with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS)1 Approval based on two Phase III ASCLEPIOS studies demonstrating significant...