New Medications for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment: Devon Conway, MD

WATCH TIME: 2 minutes

“We did mention some of the idiosyncrasies that go with each of the newer medications and things to watch out for with patients, so I am hoping that will be useful.”

Following his presentation at a recent Institutional Perspectives in Neurology: Multiple Sclerosis event, Devon Conway, MD, staff neurologist, Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Cleveland Clinic, spoke on new medications in the field of multiple sclerosis (MS), incorporating his opinion on the potential, as well as the challenges that may go along with different treatment options. Conway covered 3 medications in detail: ozanimod, (Zeposia; BMS), ponesimod (Ponvory; Janssen), and ofatumumab (Kesimpta; Novartis).

In conversation with NeurologyLive®, Conway outlined these therapies as “newer versions” of agents such as fingolimod (Gilenya; Novartis), highlighting their potential in that they do not require a 6-hour injection period of their predecessors. Noting ocrelizumab (Ocrevus; Genentech) is the anti-CD20 treatment that has been on the market for an extended period of time, as well as rituximab (Rituxan; Genentech/Biogen), which has been used off-label prior to ocrelizumab, Conway commented on ofatumumab—a human monoclonal antibody that is given by injections once per month that do not require a trip to an infusion center. Many patients with MS are reluctant to return to injections, he said, which may be problematic with the required monthly injections of the medication. 

For more coverage the Institutional Perspectives in Neurology: Multiple Sclerosis events, click here.