Shibeshih Belachew

Anti–JC virus antibody levels in serum or plasma further define risk of natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

The increased risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) with natalizumab treatment is associated with the presence of anti–JC virus (JCV) antibodies. We analyzed whether anti‐JCV antibody levels, measured as index, may further define PML risk in seropositive patients.

Ocrelizumab versus Placebo in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND An evolving understanding of the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis suggests that depleting B cells could be useful for treatment. We studied ocrelizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively depletes CD20‐expressing B cells, in the primary progressive form of the disease. METHODS In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned 732 patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in a 2:1 ratio to receive intravenous ocrelizumab (600 mg) or placebo every 24 weeks for at least 120 weeks and until a prespecified number of confirmed disability progression events had occurred. The primary end point was the percentage of patients with disability progression confirmed at 12 weeks in a time‐to‐event analysis. RESULTS The percentage of patients with 12‐week confirmed disability progression was 32.9% with ocrelizumab versus 39.3% with placebo (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.98; P=0.03). The percentage of patients with 24‐week confirmed disability progression was 29.6% with ocrelizumab versus 35.7% with placebo (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.98; P=0.04). By week 120, performance on the timed 25‐foot walk worsened by 38.9% with ocrelizumab versus 55.1% with placebo (P=0.04); the total volume of brain lesions on T2‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) decreased by 3.4% with ocrelizumab and increased by 7.4% with placebo (P<0.001); and the percentage of brain‐volume loss was 0.90% with ocrelizumab versus 1.09% with placebo (P=0.02). There was no significant difference in the change in the Physical Component Summary score of the 36‐Item Short‐Form Health Survey. Infusion‐related reactions, upper respiratory tract infections, and oral herpes infections were more frequent with ocrelizumab than with placebo. Neoplasms occurred in 2.3% of patients who received ocrelizumab and in 0.8% of patients who received placebo; there was no clinically significant difference between groups in the rates of serious adverse events and serious infections. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, ocrelizumab was associated with lower rates of clinical and MRI progression than placebo. Extended observation is required to determine the long‐term safety and efficacy of ocrelizumab. (Funded by F. Hoffmann–La Roche; ORATORIO ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01194570.)

Ocrelizumab versus Interferon Beta-1a in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND B cells influence the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Ocrelizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively depletes CD20+ B cells. METHODS In two identical phase 3 trials, we randomly assigned 821 and 835 patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis to receive intravenous ocrelizumab at a dose of 600 mg every 24 weeks or subcutaneous interferon beta‐1a at a dose of 44 μg three times weekly for 96 weeks. The primary end point was the annualized relapse rate. RESULTS The annualized relapse rate was lower with ocrelizumab than with interferon beta‐1a in trial 1 (0.16 vs. 0.29; 46% lower rate with ocrelizumab; P<0.001) and in trial 2 (0.16 vs. 0.29; 47% lower rate; P<0.001). In prespecified pooled analyses, the percentage of patients with disability progression confirmed at 12 weeks was significantly lower with ocrelizumab than with interferon beta‐1a (9.1% vs. 13.6%; hazard ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45 to 0.81; P<0.001), as was the percentage of patients with disability progression confirmed at 24 weeks (6.9% vs. 10.5%; hazard ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.84; P=0.003). The mean number of gadolinium‐enhancing lesions per T1‐weighted magnetic resonance scan was 0.02 with ocrelizumab versus 0.29 with interferon beta‐1a in trial 1 (94% lower number of lesions with ocrelizumab, P<0.001) and 0.02 versus 0.42 in trial 2 (95% lower number of lesions, P<0.001). The change in the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite score (a composite measure of walking speed, upper‐limb movements, and cognition; for this z score, negative values indicate worsening and positive values indicate improvement) significantly favored ocrelizumab over interferon beta‐1a in trial 2 (0.28 vs. 0.17, P=0.004) but not in trial 1 (0.21 vs. 0.17, P=0.33). Infusion‐related reactions occurred in 34.3% of the patients treated with ocrelizumab. Serious infection occurred in 1.3% of the patients treated with ocrelizumab and in 2.9% of those treated with interferon beta‐1a. Neoplasms occurred in 0.5% of the patients treated with ocrelizumab and in 0.2% of those treated with interferon beta‐1a. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis, ocrelizumab was associated with lower rates of disease activity and progression than interferon beta‐1a over a period of 96 weeks. Larger and longer studies of the safety of ocrelizumab are required. (Funded by F. Hoffmann–La Roche; OPERA I and II ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT01247324 and NCT01412333, respectively.)

Efficacy and safety of natalizumab in multiple sclerosis: interim observational programme results

Background Clinical trials established the efficacy and safety of natalizumab. Data are needed over longer periods of time and in the clinical practice setting. Objective To evaluate long-term safety of natalizumab and its impact on annualised relapse rate and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) progression in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Methods The Tysabri (natalizumab) Observational Program (TOP) is an open-label, multinational, 10-year prospective study in clinical practice settings. Results In this 5-year interim analysis, 4821 patients were enrolled. Follow-up for at least 4u2005years from natalizumab commencement in 468 patients and at least 2u2005years in 2496 patients revealed no new safety signals. There were 18 cases of progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy reported, following 11–44 natalizumab infusions. Mean annualised relapse rate decreased from 1.99 in the 12u2005months prior to baseline to 0.31 on natalizumab therapy (p<0.0001), remaining low at 5u2005years. Lower annualised relapse rates were observed in patients who used natalizumab as first MS therapy, in patients with lower baseline EDSS scores, and in patients with lower prenatalizumab relapse rates. Mean EDSS scores remained unchanged up to 5u2005years. Conclusions Interim TOP data confirm natalizumabs overall safety profile and the low relapse rate and stabilised disability levels in natalizumab-treated patients with RRMS in clinical practice. Trial registration number NCT00493298.

Comparative efficacy of switching to natalizumab in active multiple sclerosis

To compare treatment efficacy and persistence in patients who switched to natalizumab versus those who switched between glatiramer acetate (GA) and interferon‐beta (IFNβ) after an on‐treatment relapse on IFNβ or GA using propensity score matched real‐world datasets.

Natalizumab improves ambulation in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: results from the prospective TIMER study and a retrospective analysis of AFFIRM.

Impaired ambulation is a prominent disabling symptom of multiple sclerosis and can lead to reduced quality of life. Whether natalizumab, a monoclonal antibody shown to reduce disease activity in relapsing−remitting multiple sclerosis, could impact ambulation performance was examined.

Natalizumab reduces relapse clinical severity and improves relapse recovery in MS

OBJECTIVESnCompare relapse clinical severity, post-relapse residual disability, and the probability of confirmed complete recovery from relapse between patients who relapsed during natalizumab (n=183/627 [29%]) and placebo (n=176/315 [56%]) treatments in the AFFIRM trial.nnnMETHODSnIn this post-hoc analysis, relapse clinical severity and residual disability were defined by change in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score occurring between pre-relapse and at-relapse assessment and between pre-relapse and post-relapse assessment, respectively. Patients were considered completely recovered from relapse when their post-relapse EDSS score was less than or equal to their pre-relapse EDSS score, and this was maintained for 12 or 24 weeks.nnnRESULTSnAt relapse, an increase in EDSS score of ≥0.5 points occurred in 71% of natalizumab and 84% of placebo patients (P=0.0088); an increase of ≥1.0 point occurred in 49% of natalizumab and 61% of placebo patients (P=0.0349) (mean increase in EDSS at relapse: natalizumab=0.77; placebo=1.09; P=0.0044). After relapse, residual disability of ≥0.5 EDSS points remained in 31% of natalizumab and 45% of placebo patients (P=0.0136) (mean post-relapse residual EDSS increase: natalizumab=0.06; placebo=0.28; P=0.0170). In patients with an increase in EDSS of ≥0.5 or ≥1.0 during relapse, natalizumab increased the probability of 12-week confirmed complete recovery from relapse by 55% (hazard ratio [HR]=1.554; P=0.0161) and 67% (HR=1.673; P=0.0319) compared to placebo, respectively.nnnCONCLUSIONSnIn AFFIRM, natalizumab treatment decreased the clinical severity of relapses and improved recovery from disability induced by relapses. These beneficial effects would limit the step-wise accumulation of disability.

Comparative efficacy of first-line natalizumab vs IFN-β or glatiramer acetate in relapsing MS

Background:We compared efficacy and treatment persistence in treatment-naive patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) initiating natalizumab compared with interferon-&bgr; (IFN-&bgr;)/glatiramer acetate (GA) therapies, using propensity score–matched cohorts from observational multiple sclerosis registries. Methods:The study population initiated IFN-&bgr;/GA in the MSBase Registry or natalizumab in the Tysabri Observational Program, had ≥3 months of on-treatment follow-up, and had active RRMS, defined as ≥1 gadolinium-enhancing lesion on cerebral MRI at baseline or ≥1 relapse within the 12 months prior to baseline. Baseline demographics and disease characteristics were balanced between propensity-matched groups. Annualized relapse rate (ARR), time to first relapse, treatment persistence, and disability outcomes were compared between matched treatment arms in the total population (n = 366/group) and subgroups with higher baseline disease activity. Results:First-line natalizumab was associated with a 68% relative reduction in ARR from a mean (SD) of 0.63 (0.92) on IFN-&bgr;/GA to 0.20 (0.63) (p [signed-rank] < 0.0001), a 64% reduction in the rate of first relapse (hazard ratio [HR] 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.28–0.47; p < 0.001), and a 27% reduction in the rate of discontinuation (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.58–0.93; p = 0.01), compared with first-line IFN-&bgr;/GA therapy. Confirmed disability progression and area under the Expanded Disability Status Scale–time curve analyses were not significant. Similar relapse and treatment persistence results were observed in each of the higher disease activity subgroups. Conclusions:This study provides Class IV evidence that first-line natalizumab for RRMS improves relapse and treatment persistence outcomes compared to first-line IFN-&bgr;/GA. This needs to be balanced against the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in natalizumab-treated patients. Classification of evidence:This study provides Class IV evidence that first-line natalizumab for RRMS improves relapse rates and treatment persistence outcomes compared to first-line IFN-&bgr;/GA.

No evidence of disease activity (NEDA) analysis by epochs in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis treated with ocrelizumab vs interferon beta-1a:

Background No evidence of disease activity (NEDA; defined as no 12-week confirmed disability progression, no protocol-defined relapses, no new/enlarging T2 lesions and no T1 gadolinium-enhancing lesions) using a fixed-study entry baseline is commonly used as a treatment outcome in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective The objective of this paper is to assess the effect of ocrelizumab on NEDA using re-baselining analysis, and the predictive value of NEDA status. Methods NEDA was assessed in a modified intent-to-treat population (nu2009=u20091520) from the pooled OPERA I and OPERA II studies over various epochs in patients with relapsing MS receiving ocrelizumab (600 mg) or interferon beta-1a (IFN β‐1a; 44 μg). Results NEDA was increased with ocrelizumab vs IFN β-1a over 96 weeks by 75% (pu2009<u20090.001), from Week 0‒24 by 33% (pu2009<u20090.001) and from Week 24‒96 by 72% (pu2009<u20090.001). Among patients with disease activity during Weeks 0‒24, 66.4% vs 24.3% achieved NEDA during Weeks 24‒96 in the ocrelizumab and IFN β-1a groups (relative increase: 177%; pu2009<u20090.001). Conclusion Superior efficacy with ocrelizumab compared with IFN β-1a was consistently seen in maintaining NEDA status in all epochs evaluated. By contrast with IFN β-1a, the majority of patients with disease activity early in the study subsequently attained NEDA status with ocrelizumab.

Epoch Analysis of On-Treatment Disability Progression Events over Time in the Tysabri Observational Program (TOP)

Objective To evaluate the effect of natalizumab on disability progression beyond 2 years of treatment in clinical practice. Methods Analyses included the 496 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients among 5122 patients in the Tysabri Observational Program (TOP) who had completed 4 continuous years of natalizumab treatment and had baseline (study enrollment) and postbaseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) assessments. Proportions of patients with 6-month or 12-month confirmed ≥1.0-point EDSS progression relative to baseline were compared in treatment months 1–24 and 25–48. Sensitivity analyses compared progression rates in months 13–24 and 25–36. Results Baseline characteristics appeared similar between the overall TOP population (N = 5122), patients who had completed 4 years of natalizumab treatment (n = 469), and patients eligible to complete 4 years in TOP who had discontinued natalizumab after 2 years of treatment (n = 514). Among 4-year completers, the proportion of patients with 6-month and 12-month confirmed EDSS progression decreased between months 1–24 and 25–48 of natalizumab treatment by 42% (from 10.9% to 6.3%; p < 0.01) and 52% (from 9.5% to 4.6%; p < 0.01), respectively. Few patients had 6-month or 12-month confirmed EDSS progression in both epochs (0.6% and 0.2%, respectively). Between months 13–24 and 25–36 of treatment, the proportion of patients with 6-month and 12-month confirmed EDSS progression decreased by 60% (from 7.5% to 3.0%; p < 0.01) and 58% (from 6.7% to 2.8%; p < 0.01), respectively. Significant reductions in disability progression events between months 13–24 and 25–36 were also observed in relapse-free patients. Conclusion In this observational study, the disability progression rate decreased further beyond 2 years of natalizumab treatment. Patients who responded well and remained on continuous natalizumab therapy for over 4 years had sustained and potentially enhanced reductions in EDSS progression over time.