Advantages With Extended Release Glatiramer Acetate in Relapsing, Progressive MS: Ehud Marom

WATCH TIME: 4 minutes

"We have less safety issues than Copaxone. You can even see it when you compare it to the placebo. And why? Less injections. Most of the safety issues with Copaxone are site reactions. We have less site reactions and the dropout is not as big."

Glatiramer acetate is a synthetic protein that stimulates myelin basic protein, a component of the myelin that insulates nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Glatiramer acetate injection (Copaxone; Teva Pharmaceuticals), a therapeutic designed to block myelin damaging T-cells, has been an FDA-approved option for patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) since 1996. There have been a handful of generic approvals of the drug since then, with one investigational formulation of the drug catching the eye of some at the 2022 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis (CMSC) Annual Meeting, June 1-4, in National Harbor, Maryland.

One poster featured phase 2a results from a trial of patients with progressive MS treated with glatiramer acetate depot, a new version of the drug that consists of extended-release microspheres containing glatiramer acetate. The drug, designed by Mapi Pharma, is administered intramuscularly once every 28 days at a 40-mg dose. In the 1-year snapshot analysis of the trial, the drug was shown to be safe and effective, based on the low number of adverse events (AEs) detected and the stable Expanded Disability Status Scale scores. Additionally, 69.2% of patients demonstrated no evidence of progression throughout the study.¹

The results are significant considering the lack of approved treatments for progressive forms of the disease. To learn more about the differences, as well as advantages, of this new formulation of glatiramer acetate compared with traditional Copaxone, NeurologyLive^® sat down with Edum Marom, president and chief executive officer of Mapi Pharma. Marom provided insight on the positive safety findings observed to date, and how this drug might compared with others in the field.

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REFERENCE
1. Fletcher S, Kimelman NB, Danon U, et al. Glatiramer acetate depot (extended release) phase 2a study in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis: safety and efficacy 1 year interim snapshot analysis. Presented at: CMSC Annual Meeting; June 1-4, 2022; National Harbor, MD.