Multiple sclerosis therapy consensus group (MSTCG): answers to the discussion questions

Substantial and comparable suppression of disease activity following early initiation of cladribine tablets, ocrelizumab or alemtuzumab as first pharmacologic treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis: A real world study

BACKGROUND

We describe the efficacy and safety of recent high efficacy disease DMTs in DMT-naive patients with highly active RMS.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, cross sectional study from the Kuwait national MS registry. Patients with RMS who received alemtuzumab, cladribine tablets or ocrelizumab as their first DMT for RMS, with ≥2 year of follow up were included. The primary endpoint was the change in relapse rate from treatment initiation to 1 year; changes in disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS]), radiologic activity, the proportion with no evidence of disease activity-3 (NEDA-3), and the frequency of adverse events were secondary endpoints.

RESULTS

Among 123 RRMS patients, 59 received ocrelizumab, 32 received cladribine tablets and 32 received alemtuzumab. About two-thirds (65%) were women. Substantial and similar (p>0.05) reductions occurred at the end of follow-up in annual relapse rate (by 93.2% for ocrelizumab, 87.5% for cladribine tablets, and 90.6% for alemtuzumab). The proportion with new T2 of gadolinium-enhancing MRI lesions across the three groups was reduced from 85-100% to 7-13%. Rates of confirmed disability progression were low (ocrelizumab 6.9%, cladribine tablets 3.1%, alemtuzumab 0%; p=0.280); disability was reduced in 15%, 22% and 38%, respectively. NEDA-3 was observed in 89.8%, 87.5%, and 84.4, respectively (p=0.784). No new or unexpected safety issues occurred.

CONCLUSION

Ocrelizumab, cladribine tablets and alemtuzumab reduced relapse rates and MRI activity, and prevented disease progression, when are initiated early in DMT-naive RMS patients. These data support the early use of high-efficacy DMTs for people with highly active RMS.

Managing multiple sclerosis in individuals aged 55 and above: a comprehensive review

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) management in individuals aged 55 and above presents unique challenges due to the complex interaction between aging, comorbidities, immunosenescence, and MS pathophysiology. This comprehensive review explores the evolving landscape of MS in older adults, including the increased incidence and prevalence of MS in this age group, the shift in disease phenotypes from relapsing-remitting to progressive forms, and the presence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy. We aim to provide an updated review of the available evidence of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) in older patients, including the efficacy and safety of existing therapies, emerging treatments such as Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTKs) inhibitors and those targeting remyelination and neuroprotection, and the critical decisions surrounding the initiation, de-escalation, and discontinuation of DMTs. Non-pharmacologic approaches, including physical therapy, neuromodulation therapies, cognitive rehabilitation, and psychotherapy, are also examined for their role in holistic care. The importance of MS Care Units and advance care planning are explored as a cornerstone in providing patient-centric care, ensuring alignment with patient preferences in the disease trajectory. Finally, the review emphasizes the need for personalized management and continuous monitoring of MS patients, alongside advocating for inclusive study designs in clinical research to improve the management of this growing patient demographic.

Identification and management of subclinical disease activity in early multiple sclerosis: a review

IMPORTANCE

Early treatment initiation in multiple sclerosis (MS) is crucial in preventing irreversible neurological damage and disability progression. The current assessment of disease activity relies on relapse rates and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion activity, but inclusion of other early, often "hidden," indicators of disease activity may describe a more comprehensive picture of MS.

OBSERVATIONS

Early indicators of MS disease activity other than relapses and MRI activity, such as cognitive impairment, brain atrophy, and fatigue, are not typically captured by routine disease monitoring. Furthermore, silent progression (neurological decline not clearly captured by standard methods) may occur undetected by relapse and MRI lesion activity monitoring. Consequently, patients considered to have no disease activity actually may have worsening disease, suggesting a need to revise MS management strategies with respect to timely initiation and escalation of disease-modifying therapy (DMT). Traditionally, first-line MS treatment starts with low- or moderate-efficacy therapies, before escalating to high-efficacy therapies (HETs) after evidence of breakthrough disease activity. However, multiple observational studies have shown that early initiation of HETs can prevent or reduce disability progression. Ongoing randomized clinical trials are comparing escalation and early HET approaches.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

There is an urgent need to reassess how MS disease activity and worsening are measured. A greater awareness of "hidden" indicators, potentially combined with biomarkers to reveal silent disease activity and neurodegeneration underlying MS, would provide a more complete picture of MS and allow for timely therapeutic intervention with HET or switching DMTs to address suboptimal treatment responses.

Side effects following vaccination in multiple sclerosis: a prospective, multi-centre cohort study

Vaccines play a crucial role in preventing infections in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), although concerns have been raised about potential worsening of the underlying disease. To investigate this, we conducted a prospective, multicentre, non-randomized observational study assessing changes in disease activity, safety, and clinical tolerability of vaccination in 222 MS patients on disease-modifying drugs. The majority of patients were female (76.6%) and 89.6% had relapsing-remitting MS. The vaccines administered were primarily seasonal influenza (56.3%) or tetanus-based vaccines (33.8%). Disease activity, as measured by annualized relapse rate, decreased significantly from 0.64 the year prior to vaccination to 0.38 in the following year. Moreover, the extended disability status scale remained stable within six months after vaccination in comparison to pre-vaccination values. Side effects were reported in 19.2% of vaccinated subjects, most commonly local side effects (65.2%) or flu-like symptoms (34.8%). Our findings suggest that standard non-live vaccines are safe and well-tolerated in MS patients and do not negatively impact disease activity.

Influence of physicians' risk perception on switching treatments between high- efficacy and non-high-efficacy disease‑modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

The decision of initiating treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) with a high-efficacy DMT (HE DMT) or non-high-efficacy DMT (non-HE DMT) is influenced by several factors, including risk perception of patients and physicians.

OBJECTIVE

Investigate the influence of physicians' risk perception on decision-making when switching treatments for MS and the reasons for switching.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the Adelphi Real-World MS Disease-Specific Program (a retrospective survey) and analysis included people with RMS identified between 2017- 2021.

RESULTS

Of 4129 patients with reasons for switch available, 3538 switched from non-HE DMT and 591 from HE DMT. Overall, 4.7% of patients were switched treatment by their physicians due to the risk of malignancies and infections including PML risk. The proportion of switches that were made due to the risk of PML were 23.9% in the HE DMT and 0.5% in the non-HE DMT groups. The top reasons for switching were relapse frequency (non-HE DMT vs HE-DMT: 26.8% vs 15.2%), lack of efficacy (20.9 vs 11.7) and increased number of MRI lesions (20.3% vs 12.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians' risk perception of malignancies and infection excluding PML was not a leading factor when switching treatment. The risk of PML was a key factor, especially for switching patients from HE DMTs. In both groups, lack of efficacy was the key contributing factor for switching. Initiating the treatment with HE DMTs may potentially reduce the number of switches due to sub-optimal efficacy. These findings might help physicians to engage more in discussions with patients about the benefit/risk profile of DMTs.

Evaluating the impact of early vs delayed ofatumumab initiation and estimating the long-term outcomes of ofatumumab vs teriflunomide in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients in Spain

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of early (at first-line) vs delayed (3-year delay) ofatumumab initiation and long-term clinical, societal, and economic outcomes of ofatumumab vs teriflunomide in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) patients from a Spanish societal perspective.

METHODS

A cost-consequence analysis was conducted using an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)-based Markov model. Inputs were sourced from ASCLEPIOS I and II trials and published literature.

RESULTS

At the end of 10 years, compared with first-line teriflunomide treatment, early first-line ofatumumab initiation was projected to result in 35.6% fewer patients progressing to EDSS ≥ 7 and 27.8% fewer relapses. The ofatumumab cohort required 7.3% reduced informal care time and had 19% fewer disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) than the teriflunomide cohort. A 3-year delay in ofatumumab treatment (3-year teriflunomide + 7-year ofatumumab) was projected to result in 32.2% more patients progressing to EDSS ≥ 7, 20.2% more relapses, 5.4% increased informal care time, and 16.6% more DALYs compared with early ofatumumab initiation. Early ofatumumab initiation was associated with total annual cost savings (excluding disease-modifying-therapies' acquisition costs) of €35,328 ($34,549; conversion factor 1€= $1.02255) and €24,373 ($23,836) per patient vs teriflunomide and 3-year delayed ofatumumab initiation, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the benefits of early initiation of high-efficacy therapy such as ofatumumab vs its delayed initiation for improving the outcomes in RMS patients (having characteristics similar to those of patients included in the ASCLEPIOS trials). Ofatumumab treatment was projected to provide improved long-term clinical, societal, and economic outcomes vs teriflunomide treatment in RMS patients from a Spanish societal perspective.