Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MAS: Inebilizumab in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder

“This was a large undertaking. It involved 99 centers in 24 countries, and the goal of the study was to determine whether this monoclonal antibody that depletes B cells was clinically effective at preventing relapses in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder…these results were very positive.”

At the 2019 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting, May 4-10, in Philadelphia, 3 separate presentations focused on the positive results of an investigational therapy for a condition lacking even a single medicine: neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Additionally, all 3 therapies being tested operate through a different mechanism of action, offering a drastic level of hope for the clinicians treating NMO.

One of those studies, N-MOmentum, was led by Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MAS, clinical research director, UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Center, and explored the effects of inebilizumab in a 3:1 randomization compared with placebo for 6.5 months.

The humanized monoclonal antibody binds to and depletes CD19+ B cells, and in this phase 3 study of 230 patients with NMOSD, a number of significant decreases in key end points were reported due to treatment. In a conversation with NeurologyLive, Cree shared insight from the findings, including that inebilizumab reduced the incidence of disease relapse by 78%.

For more coverage of AAN 2019, click here.

REFERENCES

Cree B, Bennett J, Kim HJ, et al. A Double-masked, Placebo-controlled Study with Open-label Period to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Inebilizumab in Adult Subjects with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders— Top line efficacy and safety results. Presented at: American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting; May 4-9, 2019; Philadelphia, PA. Plenary 02.001.