Multiple Sclerosis

JT Lew, PharmD, MBA, highlights that the primary challenges for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in accessing prescribed medications include dealing with the shock of the diagnosis, navigating complex health plan benefits and out-of-pocket costs, and experiencing delays due to insurance barriers.

Acute clinical events with stable MRI were more likely among patients with multiple sclerosis who had longer disease duration, received highly effective disease-modifying therapies, and who presented with fatigue.

A predictive tool considering disease duration, age at disease onset, age, and Expanded Disability Status Scale score estimated patients’ risk of transition to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).

A codesigned online nutrition program could potentially fill a need for reliable and evidence-based nutrition information for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Study results demonstrated significant correlations between fatigue and reductions in walking speed and mobility among patients with multiple sclerosis.

Engaging with healthy lifestyle behaviors, including a healthy diet and physical activity, was associated with better outcomes among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Heidi Crayton, MD, and Maria Lopes, MD, discuss future research in multiple sclerosis that they find exciting and promising.

Key opinion leaders discuss the single FDA-approved option for primary progressive multiple sclerosis and emerging therapies under investigation for this MS subtype, examine the PERSEUS trial, and address concerns they anticipate with the potential approval of BTKis for MS patients and strategies for mitigating these concerns.

Medical experts discuss the failure of evobrutinib to meet its primary endpoint in phase 3 trials, review the primary outcomes of the phase 2B study of tolebrutinib in relapsing multiple sclerosis, examine payers' perspectives on the currently available data for tolebrutinib, and briefly describe the design of the HERCULES trial.

Heidi Crayton, MD, discusses the rationale for investigating Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKis) as a treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis and the current stage of development for evobrutinib, tolebrutinib, and other BTKis.

Heidi Crayton, MD, discusses the typical coverage criteria requirements she encounters from payers for currently-approved therapies for multiple sclerosis.

Key opinion leaders discuss the challenges associated with step therapy requirements after initially selecting a drug class, the patient factors considered when deciding to switch a patient with non-relapsing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis to a different therapy, and whether payers commonly employ step therapy between different drug classes.

Experts in multiple sclerosis discuss the potential introduction of a subcutaneous form of ocrelizumab to the market in late 2024 and how they plan to incorporate it into their treatment algorithms.

Heidi Crayton, MD, and Maria Lopes, MD, discuss the most recent 2018 guidelines for multiple sclerosis treatment, emphasizing the need for updated guidelines, particularly in the payer space, to ensure coverage criteria for MS medications, and they also consider the factors that influence their decision-making process when selecting therapies for patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis.

New findings show a similar number of injective-related reactions (IRRs) were reported between the use of ofatumumab (Kesimpta) and ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, but less severe reactions have been associated with ofatumumab.

A 2-sample Mendelian randomization study found a potential connection between dietary intake and multiple sclerosis (MS) risk and severity.

An analysis conducted on UK Biobank data suggests a possible association between higher concentrations of serum albumin and a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).

A prospective cohort study, using data from the UK Biobank, suggested that the Mediterranean diet could provide benefits to patients with multiple sclerosis.

A cross-sectional, prospective study found that gray matter atrophy was more prevalent in patients with more severe progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with those with less severe progressive disease.

A small cohort demonstrated the potential benefits aerobic exercise regimens hold for managing fatigue symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS), but more studies are needed.

Distinct retinal vessel atrophy patterns may be associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), but further research is needed to assess retinal vessel changes and their underlying role in MS.

A real-world study assessed the impact of cannabis-based medicinal products on health-related quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

This cross-sectional analysis demonstrates the impact that comorbidities in multiple sclerosis (MS) have on sleep quality in affected patients.

A prospective study found evidence of serum neurofilament light (sNfL) level increases in patients affected by active forms of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS); however, these findings were not significant enough to suggest sNfL measurements replace clinical or MRI monitoring of disease activity.

A recent meta-analysis that assessed prescribed exercise in managing multiple sclerosis (MS) detailed the benefits of resistance training for improving muscle weakness in this patient population.