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you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy | Continue JAMA Network HomeJAMA Neurology This Issue Views 2,357 Citations 0 60 Full Text Share Comment Original Investigation May 15, 2023 Comparative Effectiveness of Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant vs Fingolimod, Natalizumab, and Ocrelizumab in Highly Active Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Tomas Kalincik, MD, PhD1,2; Sifat Sharmin, PhD1,2; Izanne Roos, MBChB, PhD1,2; Mark S. Freedman, MD3; Harold Atkins, MD4; Joachim Burman, MD, PhD5; Jennifer Massey, MBBS, PhD6,7; Ian Sutton, MBBS, PhD6,8; Barbara Withers, MD, PhD7,9; Richard Macdonell, MD, PhD10,11; Andrew Grigg, MD, PhD11,12; Øivind Torkildsen, MD, PhD13; Lars Bo, MD, PhD13; Anne Kristine Lehmann, MD, PhD14; Eva Kubala Havrdova, MD, PhD15; Eva Krasulova, MD, PhD15; Marek Trněný, MD, PhD16; Tomas Kozak, MD, PhD17; Anneke van der Walt, MBBS, PhD18,19; Helmut Butzkueven, MBBS, PhD18,19; Pamela McCombe, MBBS20,21; Olga Skibina, MBBS18,22,23; Jeannette Lechner-Scott, MD, PhD24,25; Barbara Willekens, MD, PhD26,27; Elisabetta Cartechini, MD28; Serkan Ozakbas, MD29; Raed Alroughani, MD30; Jens Kuhle, MD, PhD31; Francesco Patti, MD32,33; Pierre Duquette, MD34; Alessandra Lugaresi, MD, PhD35,36; Samia J. Khoury, MD, PhD37; Mark Slee, MD, PhD38; Recai Turkoglu, MD39; Suzanne Hodgkinson, MD40; Nevin John, MD, PhD41,42; Davide Maimone, MD43; Maria Jose Sa, MD44; Vincent van Pesch, MD, PhD45,46; Oliver Gerlach, MD, PhD47,48; Guy Laureys, MD49; Liesbeth Van Hijfte, MD49; Rana Karabudak, MD50; Daniele Spitaleri, MD51; Tunde Csepany, MD, PhD52; Riadh Gouider, MD53,54; Tamara Castillo-Triviño, MD55; Bruce Taylor, MD, PhD56,57; Basil Sharrack, MD, PhD58; John A. Snowden, MD, PhD59; and the MSBase Study Group Collaborators; and the MSBase Study Group Authors Author Affiliations JAMA Neurol. 2023;80(7):702-713. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.1184 editorial comment iconEditorial Comment Key Points Question What is the comparative effectiveness of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) vs individual most potent disease-modifying therapies for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), such as natalizumab or ocrelizumab? Findings In this observational comparative effectiveness study of 4915 individuals using a composite cohort from specialized MS centers and the MSBase international registry, the effectiveness of AHSCT was compared with 1 medium-efficacy and 2 high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (fingolimod, natalizumab, and ocrelizumab) in patients with relapsing-remitting MS, high frequency of relapses, and moderate disability. Over 5 years, AHSCT was associated with substantially lower relapse rate than fingolimod and marginally lower relapse rate than natalizumab and was also associated with a higher rate of recovery from disability compared with fingolimod and natalizumab, but no evidence of difference in clinical outcomes between AHSCT and ocrelizumab was found at 3-year follow-up. Meaning The results indicate that in relapsing-remitting MS, the clinical effectiveness of AHSCT is considerably superior to fingolimod and marginally superior to natalizumab. Abstract Importance Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) is available for treatment of highly active multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective To compare the effectiveness of AHSCT vs fingolimod, natalizumab, and ocrelizumab in relapsing-remitting MS by emulating pairwise trials. Design, Setting, and Participants This comparative treatment effectiveness study included 6 specialist MS centers with AHSCT programs and international MSBase registry between 2006 and 2021. The study included patients with relapsing-remitting MS treated with AHSCT, fingolimod, natalizumab, or ocrelizumab with 2 or more years study follow-up including 2 or more disability assessments. Patients were matched on a propensity score derived from clinical and demographic characteristics. Exposure AHSCT vs fingolimod, natalizumab, or ocrelizumab. Main outcomes Pairwise-censored groups were compared on annualized relapse rates (ARR) and freedom from relapses and 6-month confirmed Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score worsening and improvement. Results Of 4915 individuals, 167 were treated with AHSCT; 2558, fingolimod; 1490, natalizumab; and 700, ocrelizumab. The prematch AHSCT cohort was younger and with greater disability than the fingolimod, natalizumab, and ocrelizumab cohorts; the matched groups were closely aligned. The proportion of women ranged from 65% to 70%, and the mean (SD) age ranged from 35.3 (9.4) to 37.1 (10.6) years. The mean (SD) disease duration ranged from 7.9 (5.6) to 8.7 (5.4) years, EDSS score ranged from 3.5 (1.6) to 3.9 (1.9), and frequency of relapses ranged from 0.77 (0.94) to 0.86 (0.89) in the preceding year. Compared with the fingolimod group (769 [30.0%]), AHSCT (144 [86.2%]) was associated with fewer relapses (ARR: mean [SD], 0.09 [0.30] vs 0.20 [0.44]), similar risk of disability worsening (hazard ratio [HR], 1.70; 95% CI, 0.91-3.17), and higher chance of disability improvement (HR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.71-4.26) over 5 years. Compared with natalizumab (730 [49.0%]), AHSCT (146 [87.4%]) was associated with marginally lower ARR (mean [SD], 0.08 [0.31] vs 0.10 [0.34]), similar risk of disability worsening (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.54-2.09), and higher chance of disability improvement (HR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.72-4.18) over 5 years. AHSCT (110 [65.9%]) and ocrelizumab (343 [49.0%]) were associated with similar ARR (mean [SD], 0.09 [0.34] vs 0.06 [0.32]), disability worsening (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 0.61-5.08), and disability improvement (HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 0.66-2.82) over 3 years. AHSCT-related mortality occurred in 1 of 159 patients (0.6%). Conclusion In this study, the association of AHSCT with preventing relapses and facilitating recovery from disability was considerably superior to fingolimod and marginally superior to natalizumab. This study did not find evidence for difference in the effectiveness of AHSCT and ocrelizumab over a shorter available follow-up time.

none 40 si his study was financially supported by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (fellowships 1140766 and 1080518, project grants 1129189 and 1083539), the University of Melbourne (Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences research fellowship), a Next Generation Fellowship funded by the Grand Charity of the Freemason’s (recipient JWLB), and the MSBase 2017 Fellowship (recipient JWLB). Alemtuzumab studies done in Cambridge were supported by the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the MS Society UK. The MSBase Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that receives support from Roche, Merck, Biogen, Novartis, Bayer Schering, Sanofi Genzyme, and Teva. IMPORTANCE: Within 2 decades of onset, 80% of untreated patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) convert to a phase of irreversible disability accrual termed secondary progressive MS. The association between disease-modifying treatments (DMTs), and this conversion has rarely been studied and never using a validated definition. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between the use, the type of, and the timing of DMTs with the risk of conversion to secondary progressive MS diagnosed with a validated definition. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cohort study with prospective data from 68 neurology centers in 21 countries examining patients with relapsing-remitting MS commencing DMTs (or clinical monitoring) between 1988-2012 with minimum 4 years' follow-up. EXPOSURES: The use, type, and timing of the following DMTs: interferon beta, glatiramer acetate, fingolimod, natalizumab, or alemtuzumab. After propensity-score matching, 1555 patients were included (last follow-up, February 14, 2017). MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE: Conversion to objectively defined secondary progressive MS. RESULTS: Of the 1555 patients, 1123 were female (mean baseline age, 35 years [SD, 10]). Patients initially treated with glatiramer acetate or interferon beta had a lower hazard of conversion to secondary progressive MS than matched untreated patients (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.61-0.81; P

To identify predictors of 10-year Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) change after treatment initiation in patients with relapse-onset multiple sclerosis. Using data obtained from MSBase, we defined baseline as the date of first injectable therapy initiation. Patients need only have remained on injectable therapy for 1 day and were monitored on any approved disease-modifying therapy, or no therapy thereafter. Median EDSS score changes over a 10-year period were determined. Predictors of EDSS change were then assessed using median quantile regression analysis. Sensitivity analyses were further performed. We identified 2,466 patients followed up for at least 10 years reporting post-baseline disability scores. Patients were treated an average 83% of their follow-up time. EDSS scores increased by a median 1 point (interquartile range = 0-2) at 10 years post-baseline. Annualized relapse rate was highly predictive of increases in median EDSS over 10 years (coeff = 1.14, p = 1.9 × 10(-22) ). On-therapy relapses carried greater burden than off-therapy relapses. Cumulative treatment exposure was independently associated with lower EDSS at 10 years (coeff = -0.86, p = 1.3 × 10(-9) ). Furthermore, pregnancies were also independently associated with lower EDSS scores over the 10-year observation period (coeff = -0.36, p = 0.009). We provide evidence of long-term treatment benefit in a large registry cohort, and provide evidence of long-term protective effects of pregnancy against disability accrual. We demonstrate that high annualized relapse rate, particularly on-treatment relapse, is an indicator of poor prognosis. Ann Neurol 2016;80:89-100.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of 10-year Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) change after treatment initiation in patients with relapse-onset multiple sclerosis.METHODS: Using data obtained from MSBase, we defined baseline as the date of first injectable therapy initiation. Patients need only have remained on injectable therapy for 1 day and were monitored on any approved disease-modifying therapy, or no therapy thereafter. Median EDSS score changes over a 10-year period were determined. Predictors of EDSS change were then assessed using median quantile regression analysis. Sensitivity analyses were further performed.RESULTS: We identified 2,466 patients followed up for at least 10 years reporting post-baseline disability scores. Patients were treated an average 83% of their follow-up time. EDSS scores increased by a median 1 point (interquartile range = 0-2) at 10 years post-baseline. Annualized relapse rate was highly predictive of increases in median EDSS over 10 years (coeff = 1.14, p = 1.9 × 10(-22) ). On-therapy relapses carried greater burden than off-therapy relapses. Cumulative treatment exposure was independently associated with lower EDSS at 10 years (coeff = -0.86, p = 1.3 × 10(-9) ). Furthermore, pregnancies were also independently associated with lower EDSS scores over the 10-year observation period (coeff = -0.36, p = 0.009).INTERPRETATION: We provide evidence of long-term treatment benefit in a large registry cohort, and provide evidence of long-term protective effects of pregnancy against disability accrual. We demonstrate that high annualized relapse rate, particularly on-treatment relapse, is an indicator of poor prognosis. Ann Neurol 2016;80:89-100.