Discontinuation of Disease-Modifying Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis: Should We Stay or Should We Go?

Narrative Review on the Use of Cladribine Tablets as Exit Therapy for Stable Elderly Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

The number of ageing people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) is increasing. The efficacy of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for RMS declines with age. Also, older persons with MS may be more susceptible to infections, hospitalisations and malignancy. Aging people with MS have higher rates of comorbidities versus aged-matched controls, increasing the individual risk of disability. We review the therapeutic properties of cladribine tablets (CladT) in ageing people with RMS, with regard to their utility for allowing these individuals to cease continuous administration of a DMT (i.e. to act as an "exit therapy"). CladT is thought to be an immune reconstitution therapy, in that two short courses of oral treatment 1 year apart provide suppression of MS disease activity in responders that far outlasts the duration of treatment and post-treatment reductions in lymphocyte counts. Post hoc analyses, long-term follow-up of populations with RMS in randomised trials, and real-world evidence suggest that the efficacy of CladT is probably independent of age, although more data in the elderly are still needed. No clear adverse signals for lymphopenia or other adverse safety signals have emerged with increasing age, although immunosenescence in the setting of age-related "inflammaging" may predispose elderly patients to a higher risk of infections. Updating vaccination status is recommended, especially against pneumococci and herpes zoster for older patients, to minimise the risk of these infections. CladT may be a useful alternative treatment for ageing people with MS who often bear a burden of multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy and who are more exposed to the adverse effects of continuous immunosuppressive therapy.

Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know about Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated, neurodegenerative condition of the central nervous system, with distinct challenges due to its heterogeneous presentation, prognostic uncertainty, and variable clinical course of neurological and non-neurological symptoms and disability. Although there have been significant advances in management of MS, many patients experience disability progression. Despite MS being a frequent cause of neurological disability, particularly in young persons, involvement of palliative care physicians in the care of patients with MS has been limited. This article provides ten tips for palliative clinicians for caring for patients with MS and their care partners.

Stopping Disease-Modifying Treatments in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Real-World Studies

BACKGROUND

The question of whether multiple sclerosis requires life-long disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) remains unanswered. Some studies suggest that older patients with stable disease may safely discontinue their DMTs, yet comprehensive evidence-based data are scarce and real-world studies have provided mixed results.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the rate of disease reactivation and associated risk factors after discontinuation of DMTs in patients with multiple sclerosis.

METHODS

We searched scientific databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Google Scholar) to identify real-world studies published until 31 July, 2023 that reported the number of patients who experienced relapses and/or disability accrual (outcomes of interest) following a therapy discontinuation longer than 12 months. Magnetic resonance activity and treatment re-start after DMT discontinuation were also considered as additional outcomes. We excluded studies where therapy discontinuation was explicitly related to an unintended or planned pregnancy or preceded a treatment switch. We ran random-effects meta-analyses, subgroup analyses and meta-regression models to provide pooled estimates of post-discontinuation relapse and disability events, and to identify their potential moderators (predictors).

RESULTS

After an independent screening, 22 articles met the eligibility criteria, yielding a pooled sample size of 2942 patients followed for 1-7 years after discontinuation (11,689 patient-years). The pooled rates for relapse and disability events were 6.7 and 5.8 per 100 patient-years, respectively. However, available data did not allow us to disentangle isolated disability accrual from relapse-associated worsening. Studies including older patients (β = -0.65, p = 0.006), patients with a longer exposure to DMTs (β = -2.22, p = 0.001) and patients with a longer period of disease stability (β = -2.74, p = 0.002) showed a lower risk of relapse events. According to meta-regression equations, the risk of relapse events after DMT discontinuation became negligible (arbitrarily set at < 1% per year) at approximately 60 years of age, and after either 10 years of DMT exposure, or 8 years of disease stability. Additional analyses showed pooled rates for magnetic resonance imaging activity and re-start events of 16.7 and 17.5 per 100 patient-years, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our quantitative synthesis of real-world data, in the absence of definitive answers from clinical trials, DMT discontinuation appears feasible with a high degree of certainty in selected patients. While our findings are robust regarding relapse events, future efforts are warranted to determine if DMT discontinuation is associated with isolated disability accrual.

Association between age and inflammatory disease activity on magnetic resonance imaging in relapse onset multiple sclerosis during long-term follow-up

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Inflammatory disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) decreases with advancing age. Previous work found a decrease in contrast-enhancing lesions (CELs) with age. Here, we describe the relation of age and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of inflammatory disease activity during long-term follow-up in a large real-world cohort of people with relapse onset MS.

METHODS

We investigated MRI data from the long-term observational Amsterdam MS cohort. We used logistic regression models and negative binomial generalized estimating equations to investigate the associations between age and radiological disease activity after a first clinical event.

RESULTS

We included 1063 participants and 10,651 cranial MRIs. Median follow-up time was 6.1 years (interquartile range = 2.4-10.9 years). Older participants had a significantly lower risk of CELs on baseline MRI (40-50 years vs. <40 years: odds ratio [OR] = 0.640, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.45-0.90; >50 years vs. <40 years: OR = 0.601, 95% CI = 0.33-1.08) and a lower risk of new T2 lesions or CELs during follow-up (40-50 years vs. <40 years: OR = 0.563, 95% CI = 0.47-0.67; >50 years vs. <40 years: OR = 0.486, 95% CI = 0.35-0.68).

CONCLUSIONS

Greater age is associated with a lower risk of inflammatory MRI activity at baseline and during long-term follow-up. In patients aged >50 years, a less aggressive treatment strategy might be appropriate compared to younger patients.

Discontinuation of first-line disease-modifying therapy in relapse onset multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

It is not known if and when first-line disease modifying therapy (DMT) can safely be discontinued in relapse onset multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the characteristics of patients who discontinued first-line DMT, and the occurrence of clinical and radiological inflammatory disease activity after discontinuation.

METHODS

We collected clinical and MRI parameters from patients with relapse onset MS in the MS Center Amsterdam and Rijnstate Hospital Arnhem who discontinued first-line DMT with no intention of restarting or switching treatment.

RESULTS

In total, 130 patients were included in the analyses. After discontinuation, 78 patients (60%) experienced disease activity. Sixty-three patients (48.5%) showed MRI activity after DMT discontinuation, 40 patients (30.8%) experienced relapse(s), and 29 patients (22.3%) restarted DMT. Higher age at DMT discontinuation was associated with a lower risk of MRI activity (45 -55 vs. <45 years: OR 0.301, p = 0.007, >55 vs. <45 years, OR: 0.296, p = 0.044), and with a lower risk of relapse(s) after discontinuation (45-55 vs. <45 years: OR=0.495, p = 0.106, >55 vs. <45 years: OR=0.081, p = 0.020).

CONCLUSION

Higher age at first-line DMT discontinuation is associated with lower risk and severity of radiological disease activity in MS, and a lower risk of relapse(s) after discontinuation.

Predictors of Disease Activity and Worsening in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Background and Objectives:

Disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) is highly variable, and there are limited prospective studies on predictors of disease outcomes. The goal of the study is to identify and assess patient characteristics in MS that predict disease activity and worsening.

Methods:

The study population consisted of a prospective cohort of 1,008 participants with relapsing-remitting (RR) onset MS enrolled in the CombiRx trial. Cox regression analysis was used to determine hazard ratio (HR) associations between baseline (BL) demographics, clinical history, MRI metrics, and treatment; with outcomes of time to first new disease activity over up to 7-years of follow-up including relapse, MRI activity, and disease worsening.

Results:

1,008 participants were randomized, with 959 eligible for assessment of disease activity and worsening on follow-up. In the multivariable models, risk of relapse was higher in participants younger than 38 at BL vs. older (HR range 1.36-1.43), with presence of Gd+ lesions at baseline (HR 1.38, [95%CI: 1.14, 1.67]), and with BL EDSS ≥3.5 vs. <3.5 (HR range 1.63-1.67). Risk of new MRI activity was higher in younger participants (HR range 1.58-1.84), with higher preexisting lesion counts greater than the median lesion count with ≥71 T2 hyperintense lesions vs. <71 (HR 1.50, [95%CI 1.27, 1.77]), with presence of BL Gd+ lesions (HR 1.75, [95%CI: 1.49, 2.06]), and higher baseline T2 lesion volume (HR 1.02 for every unit increase in baseline volume, [95% CI 1.01, 1.03]). Risk of new MRI activity was lower in those receiving combination therapy compared to either GA (HR range 0.67-0.68) or IFN (HR range 0.68-0.70). Risk of disease worsening was higher for those with higher T2 volume (HR for 1 unit increase in volume 1.01, 95% CI 1.004, 1.03) and BL EDSS <2 (HR range 2.79-2.96). There were no associations between sex, race, and disease duration on relapse, MRI activity, or disease worsening in multivariable analysis.

Conclusion:

Prospective data from a large clinical trial cohort shows that younger MS patients with high baseline relapses and MRI lesion burden have the highest risk of subsequent disease activity.

CombiRx was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00211887) on September 21, 2005. Study enrollment began in January 2005.