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Objectives Characterise telehealth use in MS clinics during the COVID–19 pandemic. Assess patient and clinician attitudes towards telehealth. Compare telehealth–based and physical EDSS obtained during period of telehealth implementation. Methods Clinic records from Mar-Dec 2020 were reviewed. Patients and clinicians completed questionnaires about experiences using Telehealth. The iMed database was searched for EDSS recorded via face-to-face and telehealth appointments during and compared to face-to-face EDSS preceding and following the study period. T-test and Chi-square test were used for between-group comparisons. Results 2023 appointments (27% face-to-face, 35% video, 37% telephone) were conducted. New referrals were predominantly face-to-face (66%). 89% of patients were satisfied with telehealth. 58% felt they were as good as face-to-face visits, whilst only 11% of clinicians agreed. Many patients favoured a hybrid model. Safety during the COVID-19 pandemic was important to both groups. EDSS increase from the preceding visit was recorded in a significantly higher proportion of face-to-face than telehealth appointments (p=0.027), with the increase driven by patients with baseline EDSS≤4.0. Amongst patients with EDSS increases, similar numbers of suspected relapses were seen via both modalities. Absolute increase in EDSS was also significantly greater amongst patients seen face-to-face (p Conclusion Patient satisfaction with telehealth was high, whilst clinicians preferred face-to-face consultations. EDSS increase was more frequently recorded via face-to-face than telehealth appointments, which may underestimate lower EDSS. Future clinics could combine both modalities.

Introduction Ocrelizumab (OCR) is a humanised anti-CD20+ monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. Objectives In Australian MSBase clinics, we describe baseline characteristics of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients treated with OCR, treatment pathways and early clinical outcomes. Methods Secondary analysis using MSBase Registry data for RRMS patients with OCR initiation within 3 months of MSBase recorded visit. Descriptive statistics included demographics, disease course/duration, prior disease modifying therapies (DMT) and EDSS. Relapse data was described in patients with ≥6 months follow-up. Results As of 4 June 2020, MSBase included 624 eligible Australian RRMS patients newly treated with OCR. Median age at OCR initiation was 42.5 years. OCR was first line therapy in 18.9% of patients. Most frequent DMT’s in the 12 months prior to OCR were natalizumab (32.1%) and fingolimod (24.8%). Of 434 RRMS patients with ≥6 months follow-up, 392 remained relapse free (90.3%; 95% CI 81.6, 99.7) over a mean OCR exposure of 1.35 years. In this group, the annualized relapse rate (ARR) was 0.10 (95% CI 0.08-0.13), compared to an ARR of 0.83 in the 24 months pre-OCR start. Treatment discontinuation was recorded for 20 of these 434 patients In the overall RRMS cohort, treatment persistence at 12 and 24 months was 94.3% (95%CI: 90.9%-96.1%%) and 88.7% (95%CI 77.2%-94.0%), respectively. Conclusion Almost 20% of RRMS patients treated with OCR in Australian MSBase centres received OCR as a first line treatment. During OCR treatment, relapses and OCR discontinuations were rare.

Objective To examine factors determining risk of self-reported infections and antimicrobial use in patients receiving Ocrelizumab for MS. Methods Retrospective, observational cohort study conducted in Ocrelizumab-treated patients at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. The association of clinical and laboratory factors with self-reported infection rate and antimicrobial use were estimated using univariate and multivariable logistic regression models. Results 185 patients were included in the study, and 176 infections were reported in 89 patients (46.1%), and in 47 patients (25.3%) antimicrobial use was identified. In univariate analyses, a higher serum IgA was associated with reduced odds of infection (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.25 - 0.76). In multivariable analyses, older age (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.88 - 0.99), higher serum IgA (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.17 - 0.80) and higher serum IgG (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.67 - 0.99) were associated with reduced odds of infection. Older age (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.75 - 0.96) and higher serum IgA (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07 - 0.79) were associated with reduced odds of antimicrobial use, whilst longer MS disease duration (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.06 - 1.41) and higher EDSS (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.02 - 3.86) were associated with increased odds of antimicrobial use. Conclusions Higher serum IgA, IgG and older age were associated with reduced odds of infection. Our findings highlight non-uniformity of infection risk in Ocrelizumab-treated MS patients, and substantiate the need to monitor immunoglobulin levels pre-treatment and whilst on therapy.

Turkoglu, Recai/0000-0001-9724-851X; Ferraro, Diana/0000-0003-4818-3806; Jokubaitis, Vilija G./0000-0002-3942-4340; McCombe, Pamela/0000-0003-2704-8517; Lugaresi, Alessandra/0000-0003-2902-5589; Slee, Mark/0000-0003-4323-2453; Kalincik, Tomas/0000-0003-3778-1376; Vucic, Steve/0000-0002-8323-873X; Ramo-Tello, Cristina/0000-0001-8643-5053 WOS: 000471115600018 PubMed: 30636699 Objective Oral immunotherapies have become a standard treatment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Direct comparison of their effect on relapse and disability is needed. Methods We identified all patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis treated with teriflunomide, dimethyl fumarate or fingolimod, with minimum 3-month treatment persistence and disability follow-up in the global MSBase cohort study. Patients were matched using propensity scores. Three pairwise analyses compared annualised relapse rates and hazards of disability accumulation, disability improvement and treatment discontinuation (analysed with negative binomial models and weighted conditional survival models, with pairwise censoring). Results The eligible cohorts consisted of 614 (teriflunomide), 782 (dimethyl fumarate) or 2332 (fingolimod) patients, followed over the median of 2.5 years. Annualised relapse rates were lower on fingolimod compared with teriflunomide (0.18 vs 0.24; p=0.05) and dimethyl fumarate (0.20 vs 0.26; p=0.01) and similar on dimethyl fumarate and teriflunomide (0.19 vs 0.22; p=0.55). No differences in disability accumulation (p >= 0.59) or improvement (p >= 0.14) were found between the therapies. In patients with >= 3-month treatment persistence, subsequent discontinuations were less likely on fingolimod than teriflunomide and dimethyl fumarate (p

Objective To evaluate variability and predictability of disability trajectories in moderately advanced and advanced multiple sclerosis (MS), and their modifiability with immunomodulatory therapy. Methods The epochs between Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) steps 3-6, 4-6 and 6-6.5 were analysed. Patients with relapse-onset MS and having reached 6-month confirmed baseline EDSS step (3/4/6) were identified in MSBase, a global observational MS cohort study. We used multivariable survival models to examine the impact of disease-modifying therapy, clinical and demographic factors on progression to the outcome EDSS step (6/6.5). Sensitivity analyses with varying outcome definitions and inclusion criteria were conducted. Results For the EDSS 3-6, 4-6 and 6-6.5 epochs, 1560, 1504 and 1231 patients were identified, respectively. Disability trajectories showed large coefficients of variance prebaseline (0.92-1.11) and postbaseline (2.15-2.50), with no significant correlations. The probability of reaching the outcome step was not associated with prebaseline variables, but was increased by higher relapse rates during each epoch (HRs 1.58-3.07; p