Cultural Shifts in Adapting to the New Criteria for Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis: Marcello Moccia, MD, PhD

WATCH TIME: 4 minutes

"Each MS unit should combine the different tools they have ease to access to make the diagnosis of MS. If they are not able to, they can refer the small subset of patients with suspected MS to other centers, but I think we need to be extremely pragmatic.”

Although the therapeutic landscape has constantly evolved, the effect on the use of various disease modifying treatments (DMTs) sequences in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been largely unexplored, specifically in relation to subsequent burden in healthcare systems. A newly presented study revealed that one of the most-frequently prescribed DMTs was ocrelizumab (Ocrevus; Roche), the only FDA-approved medication for both relapsing and progressive forms of MS. Between 2018 and 2022, 28.8% of the prescribed treatments for patients with MS were ocrelizumab, supporting its relevance in clinical routine.¹

In the study, investigators included 3868 patients with MS from southern Italy who either received their first DMT or switch DMT prescriptions. In the study, ocrelizumab was associated with the highest persistence and adherence, and the costs were lower compared with those of other highly active DMTs. These results were presented at the 2024 European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress, September 18-20, in Copenhagen, Denmark, by lead author Marcello Moccia, MD, PhD, who also participated as speaker in a scientific session focused on the practical implementation of new diagnosis criteria for MS. These new criteria will provide clinicians with more guidance for diagnosis to potentially help their patients receive treatment interventions, such as with ocrelizumab, earlier.

At the Congress, Moccia, an assistant professor in the department of molecular medicine and medical biotechnology at the University of Naples, sat down with NeurologyLive^® to discuss how the integration of new imaging techniques, such as susceptibility weighted imaging sequences and optic nerve imaging, will impact the diagnosis of MS in clinical practice. Moccia, who also serves as a clinical research fellow at University College London, talked about the primary challenges that will potentially be faced by MS units when adapting to the new MS criteria. Furthermore, he spoke about how MS units can overcome limitations in available resources when implementing these new diagnostic protocols.

Click here for more coverage of ECTRIMS 2024.

REFERENCES
1. Moccia M, Affinito G, Marrazzo G, et al. A 5-year population based study on ocrelizumab within different treatment strategies for multiple sclerosis. Presented at: 2024 ECTRIMS; September 18-20; Copenhagen, Denmark. Abstract P860.