Long-Term Ocrelizumab Reduces Relapse Rate and Disability Progression in MS

The following article is part of conference coverage from the 34th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in Berlin, Germany. Neurology Advisor’s staff will be reporting breaking news associated with research conducted by leading experts in neurology. Check back for the latest news from ECTRIMS 2018.

Patients with multiple sclerosis who initiated ocrelizumab therapy earlier and continued long-term treatment sustained lower annualized relapse rates as well as robust reductions in disability progression compared with patients who switched from interferon β-1a therapy. This research was presented at the 34th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, held October 10 to 12, 2018, in Berlin, Germany.

The investigators of this study sought to assess the efficacy of maintaining long-term ocrelizumab therapy, or switching to ocrelizumab therapy, on the disease activity and progression of disability in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis.

The study included patients from the OPERA I and OPERA II Phase III trials at the start of the open-label extension period and followed them for an additional 3 years. Participants continued ocrelizumab therapy or were switched from interferon β-1a therapy to ocrelizumab. The investigators analyzed specific efficacy outcomes, including the adjusted annualized relapse rate, time to onset of 24-week confirmed disability progression and change from baseline in adjusted mean Expanded Disability Status Scale score.

The results showed that 88.6% of patients who entered the open-label extension period completed the study. Patients who continued ocrelizumab therapy maintained low annualized relapse rates throughout the 3-year extension period. In addition, patients who switched to ocrelizumab therapy decreased their annualized relapse rates from 0.20 pre-switch to 0.10 at 1 year (P =.001), 0.08 at 2 years (P =.31), and .07 at 3 years (P =.56) post switch. Patients continuing therapy compared with patients who switched therapies reported lower proportions of patients with confirmed disability progression in the year pre-switch and during the 3-year extension period (7.7% vs 12% pre-switch, 10.1% vs 15.6% year 1, 13.9% vs 18.1% year 2, 16.1% vs 21.3% year 3; P =.05).

Switching from interferon β-1a therapy to ocrelizumab therapy at the start of the open-label extension period for the OPERA I and OPERA II trials was associated with a rapid reduction in multiple sclerosis relapse, and all patients who continued ocrelizumab therapy for 3 years maintained low relapse rates. Overall, the proportion of patients with disability progression was lower in patients who initiated ocrelizumab treatment earlier compared to patients who switched at the start of the extension period.

Multiple authors declare associations with the pharmaceutical industry. Please see original reference for full list of authors’ disclosures.

For more coverage of ECTRIMS 2018, click here.

Reference

Hauser SL, Brochet B, Montalban X, et al. Long-term reduction of relapse rate and confirmed disability progression after 5 years of ocrelizumab treatment in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis. Poster presented at: 34th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis; October 10-12, 2018; Berlin, Germany. Poster P590.