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The radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) represents the earliest detectable pre-clinical phase of multiple sclerosis (MS). This study evaluated the impact of therapeutic intervention in preventing first symptom manifestation at this stage in the disease spectrum.We conducted a multi-center, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study involving people with RIS. Individuals without clinical symptoms typical of MS but with incidental brain MRI anomalies consistent with CNS demyelination were included. Within 12 MS centers in the U.S., participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to oral dimethyl fumarate (DMF) 240mg twice daily or placebo. The primary endpoint was the time to onset of clinical symptoms attributable to a CNS demyelinating event within a follow-up period of 96 weeks. An intention-to-treat analysis was applied to all participating individuals in the primary and safety investigations. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02739542 (ARISE).Participants from 12 centers were recruited from March 9, 2016 to October 31, 2019 with 44 people randomized to dimethyl fumarate and 43 to placebo. Following DMF treatment, the risk of a first clinical demyelinating event during the 96-week study period was highly reduced in the unadjusted Cox proportional-hazards regression model (hazard ratio (HR)=0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.05-0.63, p=0.007). More moderate adverse reactions were present in the DMF (34 (32%)) than placebo groups (19 (21%)) but severe events were similar (DMF, 3 (5%); placebo, 4 (9%)).This is the first randomized clinical trial demonstrating the benefit of a disease-modifying therapy in preventing a first acute clinical event in people with RIS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Amyloid beta (Aβ) plaque is a defining pathologic feature of Alzheimer disease (AD). Aducanumab, a monoclonal IgG1 that selectively binds aggregated species of Aβ, has been shown by amyloid positron emission tomography (Amyloid PET) to reduce Aβ plaques in patients with prodromal and mild AD. This is the first autopsy report of the AD neuropathology in a patient previously treated with aducanumab. The patient was an 84-year-old woman who was randomized to the placebo arm of the PRIME Phase 1b study (221AD103). The patient progressed to moderate dementia (MMSE = 14/30), beyond the targeted early AD treatment stage, before receiving aducanumab in the long-term extension (LTE). The patient then received 32 monthly doses of aducanumab, titrated up to 6 mg/kg, for a cumulative dose of 186 mg/kg. In the LTE, Amyloid PET scans demonstrated robust Aβ plaque reduction, from a composite standard uptake value ratio (SUVR) of 1.5 at screening to

Introduction L’aducanumab est un AC monoclonal humain ciblant les formes agregees d’Aβ (oligomeres solubles et fibrilles insolubles). EMERGE et ENGAGE sont 2 etudes de phase III mondiales, randomisees, en double insu, controlees vs placebo, de 18 mois. Objectifs Ces etudes, aux methodologies identiques, ont evalue l’efficacite et la securite d’emploi de l’aducanumab chez des patients de 50 a 85 ans avec une maladie d’Alzheimer (MA) debutante (troubles cognitifs legers dus a la MA ou demence legere liee a la MA). Patients et methodes Les criteres d’inclusion comprenaient une TEP-amyloide positive, un MMSE de 24 a 30, un score CDR Global de 0,5, et un score RBANS-DMI ≤ 85. Pendant la periode controlee vs placebo de 18 mois, les patients ont ete randomises 1/1/1 pour recevoir l’aducanumab a dose faible, l’aducanumab a dose elevee ou un placebo, administre en IV toutes les 4 semaines. Le critere de jugement principal etait la variation du score CDR-SB a la sem 78. Les criteres secondaires etaient la variation des scores MMSE, ADAS-Cog13 et ADCS-ADL-MCI. Resultats Apres l’analyse de futilite planifiee, une analyse realisee suite au gel de base final a montre que EMERGE avait satisfait son critere de jugement principal, conformement au plan d’analyse statistique prespecifie. Les patients traites par aducanumab a dose elevee ont presente une reduction significative du declin clinique mesure par les CDR-SB a la semaine 78 (22 % vs placebo, p = 0,01). Discussion ENGAGE n’a pas satisfait son critere de jugement principal. Cependant, les donnees des patients de l’etude ENGAGE qui avaient atteint une exposition suffisante a l’aducanumab a dose elevee ont corrobore les resultats d’EMERGE. Le profil de securite d’emploi et de tolerance de l’aducanumab dans les etudes EMERGE et ENGAGE concordait avec celui observe dans les etudes precedentes. Conclusion EMERGE a satisfait a son critere de jugement principal, conformement au plan d’analyse statistique prespecifie. Les donnees d’un sous-groupe de patients d’ENGAGE corroborent les resultats d’EMERGE.

Background: In phase 3 trials, delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (DMF; also known as gastroresistant DMF) demonstrated efficacy in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Gastrointestinal (GI) events were associated with DMF treatment. The single-arm, open-label MANAGE study examined the incidence, severity, duration, and management of GI events in adults with relapsing MS initiating DMF treatment in clinical practice in the United States shortly after marketing approval. Patients and Methods: Patients (N = 233) took DMF for up to 12 weeks and recorded information regarding GI events using an eDiary and numerical rating scales. Results: Overall, 54.1% of patients used symptomatic therapy and had GI symptoms. The incidence of GI events was highest in the first month of treatment. The duration of GI events varied by event type, and severity was generally mild to moderate. Decreased severity was seen in patients treated with antacids, bismuth subsalicylate, acid-secretion blockers, antidiarrheals, and antiemetics. Less than 10% of patients were using symptomatic therapy for GI events by week 12 of DMF treatment. A modest reduction in severe GI events was observed in patients who regularly took DMF with food compared with patients who did not. The incidence of GI-related events was comparable in patients with or without a history of GI abnormalities and in patients who did or did not use alcohol or tobacco. Conclusions: Gastrointestinal events associated with DMF are generally transient, mild to moderate in severity, and manageable. Symptomatic therapy and dosing with food may mitigate these events.

ObjectiveTo assess functional changes in lymphocyte repertoire and subsequent clinical implications during delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (DMF) treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis.MethodsUsing peripheral blood from several clinical trials of DMF, immune cell subsets were quantified using flow cytometry. For some patients, lymphocyte counts were assessed after DMF discontinuation. Incidence of adverse events, including serious and opportunistic infections, was assessed.ResultsIn DMF-treated patients, absolute lymphocyte counts (ALCs) demonstrated a pattern of decline followed by stabilization, which also was reflected in the global reduction in numbers of circulating functional lymphocyte subsets. The relative frequencies of circulating memory T- and B-cell populations declined and naive cells increased. No increased incidence of serious infection or malignancy was observed for patients treated with DMF, even when stratified by ALC or T-cell subset frequencies. For patients who discontinued DMF due to lymphopenia, ALCs increased after DMF discontinuation; recovery time varied by ALC level at discontinuation. T-cell subsets closely correlated with ALCs in both longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses.ConclusionsDMF shifted the immunophenotype of circulating lymphocyte subsets. ALCs were closely correlated with CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts, indicating that lymphocyte subset monitoring is not required for safety vigilance. No increased risk of serious infection was observed in patients with low T-cell subset counts. Monitoring ALC remains the most effective way of identifying patients at risk of subsequently developing prolonged moderate to severe lymphopenia, a risk factor for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in DMF-treated patients.Trial registration numbersEUDRA CT 2015-001973-42, NCT00168701, NCT00420212, NCT00451451, and NCT00835770.

Objectives:To investigate the immune response to vaccinations in patients with relapsing forms of MS treated with delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (DMF) vs nonpegylated interferon (IFN).Methods:In this open-label, multicenter study, patients received 3 vaccinations: (1) tetanus-diphtheria toxoid (Td) to test T-cell–dependent recall response, (2) pneumococcal vaccine polyvalent to test T-cell–independent humoral response, and (3) meningococcal (groups A, C, W-135, and Y) oligosaccharide CRM197 conjugate to test T-cell–dependent neoantigen response. Eligible patients were aged 18–55 years, diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and either treated for ≥6 months with an approved dose of DMF or for ≥3 months with an approved dose of nonpegylated IFN. Primary end point was the proportion of patients with ≥2-fold rise in antitetanus serum IgG levels from prevaccination to 4 weeks after vaccination.Results:Seventy-one patients (DMF treated, 38; IFN treated, 33) were enrolled. The mean age was 45.3 years (range 27–55); 86% were women. Responder rates (≥2-fold rise) to Td vaccination were comparable between DMF- and IFN-treated groups (68% vs 73%). Responder rates (≥2-fold rise) were also similar between DMF- and IFN-treated groups for diphtheria antitoxoid (58% vs 61%), pneumococcal serotype 3 (66% vs 79%), pneumococcal serotype 8 (95% vs 88%), and meningococcal serogroup C (53% vs 53%), all p > 0.05. In a post hoc analysis, no meaningful differences were observed between groups in the proportion of responders when stratified by age category or lymphocyte count.Conclusions:DMF-treated patients mount an immune response to recall, neoantigens, and T-cell–independent antigens, which was comparable with that of IFN-treated patients and provided adequate seroprotection.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT02097849.Classification of evidence:This study provides Class II evidence that patients with RRMS treated with DMF respond to vaccinations comparably with IFN-treated patients.