Roche’s Ocrevus extends time-to-wheelchair by 7 years in progressive MS patients
pharmafile | June 14, 2018 | News story | Research and Development | Ocrevus, Roche, multiple sclerosis, pharma
Roche has lifted the curtain on more promising data at Phase 3 for its humanised anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), showing that the therapy could provide a range of “meaningful disability benefits” to multiple sclerosis patients.
Specifically, the results showed that Ocrevus could significantly delay the time a patient with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) will need to resort to a wheelchair for mobility by seven years. The drug produced a 46% reduction in the risk of progressing to a wheelchair compared to placebo, as measured by the time it took patients to reach Expanded Disability Status Scale seven or greater using 24-week confirmed disability progression. The median time-to-wheelchair was estimated to stand at 19.2 years for Ocrevus patients, and 12.1 years for placebo.
“To a person living with primary progressive MS, for whom disability accumulates twice as fast as in relapsing MS, seven more years without the need for a wheelchair could extend the time they can live independently in their home, continue working or looking after their families,” said Helmut Butzkueven, Professor and Chair of MS and Neuroimmunology Research at Central Clinical School, Monash University, Head of MS and Neuroimmunology Service at Alfred Health and Director of MS Service at Eastern Health. “The data at EAN show the significant impact that OCREVUS, the first disease-modifying medicine for PPMS approved in more than 60 countries around the world, can have on people with MS with the greatest unmet need.”
The new data is set to be presented in Lisbon at the 4th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) this week. Roche also confirmed it would be kicking off two new global Phase 3b studies to evaluate the efficacy of Ocrevus in a range of progressive forms of MS.
Matt Fellows
Related Content
LGC Group opens $100M Organic Chemistry Synthesis Centre of Excellence
LGC Group, a life sciences company, has opened its new Organic Chemistry Synthesis Centre of …
Roche receives CE Mark for blood test to help rule out Alzheimer’s
Roche has been granted CE Mark approval for its Elecsys pTau181 test, the first in …
Roche candidate shows early promise for treating haemophilia A
Roche has announced encouraging early results from its phase 1/2 trial of NXT007, an investigational …
