Revolutionary Change in the Paradigm of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Treatment in the Czech Republic
At the beginning of last year, there was a revolutionary change in the paradigm of multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment in the Czech Republic. Patients with MS and an unfavorable prognosis no longer have to go through ineffective medications on their way to highly effective therapy (HET, High Efficacy Therapy), but can be treated with the highly effective drug Ocrevus® from the first symptoms of the disease.
COMMERCIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
What benefits does this bring to patients?
Early treatment with Ocrevus® can significantly reduce the likelihood of disease progression and thus delay the onset of disability, which is the main goal of MS therapy. According to currently available 10-year data, this treatment can delay the likelihood of patient deterioration by a full 9.5 years compared to the original escalation method of treatment (i.e., starting treatment with less effective drugs, in this case with high-dose interferon).
- Treatment with Ocrevus® also significantly reduces the risk of relapses. Ten-year clinical data show that, on average, a relapse occurs in a treated patient only once every 60 years (yearly relapse rate after 10 years of treatment is just 0.017).
- MRI parameters (new and enlarging lesions on T2-weighted images and Gd+ lesions on T1-weighted images) remain practically completely suppressed even after 10 years.
Treatment with Ocrevus® is a treatment with a proven safety profile and high adherence, administered only TWICE A YEAR.
The safety profile of Ocrevus® treatment remains consistent over the entire 10-year observation period, without increasing the risk of serious infections.
Based on data from the national ReMuS registry, almost 92% of patients remain on treatment long-term. This treatment thus provides high adherence since the patient is under the care of the attending physician, and persistence.
- with signs of an unfavorable prognosis, who have developed at least one moderate or severe relapse despite treatment with at least one first-line medication
- with an active form of the disease (1 documented and treated relapse in the previous year or 2 documented and treated relapses in the previous 2 years) and a significant MRI finding (presence of T1 Gd+ lesions and/or infratentorial lesions and/or spinal lesions)
Registration at www.mojemedicina.cz will give you access to the following topics:
- Comprehensive information about MS treatment
- MS news in the form of newsletters
- Records of lectures, webinars, symposia
- Direct access to the Brain Storm podcast
- Educational materials about MS for patients
References:
● Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), date of the last text revision (to be filled)
● SÚKL Ocrevus: Prices and reimbursements (https://www.sukl.cz/modules/medication/detail.php?code=0222682&tab=prices);
● Brown J.W.L. et al., Association of Initial Disease-Modifying Therapy With Later Conversion to Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. JAMA, 2019. 321(2): p. 175-187;
● Butzkueven, H., et al., Risk of requiring a wheelchair in primary progressive multiple sclerosis: Data from the ORATORIO trial and the MSBase registry. Eur J Neurol, 2021;
● Engmann NJ et al. Persistence and adherence to ocrelizumab compared with other disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis in U.S. commercial claims data. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2021;27(5):639-649y,
● Pineda et al., Adherence and Persistence to Disease-Modifying Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis and their Impact on Clinical and Economic Outcomes in a US Claims Database, AAN 2021, presentation Number P15.228
● Brown J.W.L. et al., Association of Initial Disease-Modifying Therapy With Later Conversion to Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. JAMA, 2019. 321(2): p. 175-187;
● Butzkueven, H., et al., Risk of requiring a wheelchair in primary progressive multiple sclerosis: Data from the ORATORIO trial and the MSBase registry. Eur J Neurol, 2021;
● Giovannoni G., et al. Long-Term Reduction of Relapse Rate and Confirmed Disability Progression after 7.5 Years of Ocrelizumab Treatment in Patients with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis in the OPERA OLE. ECTRIMS 2021 P723;
● Dekker, I.et al., Infratentorial and spinal cord lesions: Cumulative predictors of long-term disability. Mult Scler, 2019: p. 1352458519864933;
● Hauser SL et al, N Engl J Med 2017; 376:221-234
● Hauser SL et al, Safety of Ocrelizumab in Patients With Relapsing and Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, Neurology, 2021; 97(16)
● Hauser SL et al, Safety of Ocrelizumab in Multiple Sclerosis: Updated Analysis in Patients with Relapsing and Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, ECTRIMS 2021, P724
● Hauser SL et al, Safety of Ocrelizumab in Multiple Sclerosis: Updated Analysis in Patients with Relapsing and Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. ECTRIMS 2023, Poster P304
● Weber MS et al. The Patient Impact of 10 Years of Ocrelizumab Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis: Long-Term Data from the Phase III OPERA and ORATORIO Studies. ECTRIMS 2023, Poster P302
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