NMOSD

The clinical research director of the UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Center talked about challenges in accessibility for the 3 approved therapies for NMOSD caused by third-party payor resistance as well as the importance of educating clinicians about the effectiveness of inebilizumab. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

The neuroimmunologist at Clínica Alemana de Santiago and the head of the University Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Ramos Mejía Hospital talked about Latin America’s pursuit of expanding treatment options and patient inclusivity as a focus of neurological censuses in NMOSD. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

Data from a US database suggest that patients who switched to eculizumab (Soliris; Alexion) significantly reduced their hospitalization, days hospitalized, and documented comorbidities.

The clinical research director of the UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Center talked about a clinical trial highlighting the therapeutic benefits of longterm treatment with inebilizumab in patients with NMOSD. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

A new analysis of the SAkuraMoon study showed that annual relapse rate remained consistently low in satralizumab-treated patients, with high proportions of patients remaining free from relapse, severe relapse, and worsening in disability.

A recent analysis of the PREVENT and CHAMPION-NMOSD found no significant differences in safety outcomes for patients with AQP4+ NMOSD who were treated with rituximab prior to starting C5 complement inhibitors in specific timeframes.

Erin Longbrake, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine, discussed the importance of understanding rare autoimmune disorders to effectively design clinical trials and treatment strategies, especially for heterogeneous conditions like NMOSD and MOGAD.

The associate professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine discussed the differentiation of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein -associated disease from multiple sclerosis at IFN 2023. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

Hesham Abboud, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, talked about a study that suggested the possibility of predicting the future clinical phenotype of optic neuritis in patients early on.

In a recent case-control study of 836 human serum samples, including 332 AQP4-IgG–positive and 504 negative samples, the novel immunodot assay showed a 99.4% sensitivity and a 99.2% specificity.

In this small-scale Turkish-based substudy, stopping eciluzumab appeared to be associated with a “rebound” effect with a high risk of relapse in patients with NMOSD.

The presence of new asymptomatic MRI lesions among patients with NMOSD during the relapse-free period and at relapses was not associated with a shorter time to developing subsequent relapses.

A recent systematic review showed that AQP4+NMOSD in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus can mimic neuropsychiatric manifestations, frequently occur after the onset of lupus or may predate, and necessitate indefinite treatment.

Antinuclear antibodies seem to be more associated with severe disease activity and poor prognosis among patients with NMOSD, which further implies that they may be potentially used as a prognostic marker for the disease.

Findings showed that autonomic symptom burden was slightly more severe in patients with multiple sclerosis compared with those with NMOSD, although the difference was not statistically significant.

The agency requested modifications to the REMS program, seeking validation of patients’ meningococcal vaccination status and prophylactic administration of antibodies prior to giving ravulizumab treatment.

Preliminarily data from in vitro experiments demonstrated that cytomegalovirus antigenic peptides can activate peripheral antigen-specific T cells among patients with NMOSD.

Christy Sheehy, PhD, chief executive officer and cofounder of C. Light Technologies, talked about the FDA clearance of Retitrack—retinal eye-movement monitor—and how the device holds promise for facilitating more accurate ocular motor assessments at bedside.

According to a recent study, malnutrition is related closely to quality of life among patients with NMOSD, caused by a variety of physiological and psychological factors.

Among a cohort of more than 70 individuals with MS, only 1 relapse occurred while on eculizumab, with significant reductions in immunosuppressive use observed.

Differential diagnosis consideration for MS requires a circumspect approach dependent on the clinical presentation and accompanied by vigilance for clinical and paraclinical red flags suggesting alternative diagnoses.

METEOROID is the first study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of satralizumab, an FDA-approved therapy for NMOSD, in patients with MOGAD.

A panel of experts in the treatment of patients with NMOSD discusses and offers insight into the vital aspects of diagnosis, disease management, and therapeutic strategy.

Compared with placebo, inebilizumab-treated participants showed attenuated biomarker elevation during attacks and reduced biomarker levels over time in the absence of adjudicated attacks.

The professor of neurology at the University of Virginia discussed the progress made in recognizing and diagnosing neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder through the discovery of specific monoclonal antibodies. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

The associate professor at the University of Colorado highlighted the limitations of standard care visits in collecting crucial data from pediatric multiple sclerosis centers. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

The director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology provided commentary on the possibility of preventing NMOSD, and the need to improve access to approved therapies and AQP4 testing. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

The associate professor at the University of Colorado talked about a study involving pediatric patients with multiple sclerosis and related disorders, and the risk of COVID-19 infection among those on B-cell-depleting therapy. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

The director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology discussed findings from the phase 3 CHAMPION-NMOSD trial of ravulizumab in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

Teri Schreiner, MD, associate professor at the University of Colorado, talked about the impact of B-cell-depleting therapy in pediatric patients with MS infected with COVID-19.