Clinical Relapse
- Low Relapse Rates: Across studies, fewer than 20% of patients experienced a clinical relapse after starting ocrelizumab, with most studies reporting relapse in fewer than 10% of patients.
- Significant Decrease in Relapse Activity: One study noted a statistically significant decrease in relapse activity in RRMS patients treated with ocrelizumab for at least 12 months.
Time to Relapse
- Varied Time to First Relapse: Studies reported median times to first relapse ranging from 52.5 days to 8.7 months post-treatment initiation.
Annualized Relapse Rate (ARR)
- Reduction in ARR: All 14 studies assessing ARR reported a numerical decrease following ocrelizumab initiation, with three studies confirming statistically significant reductions.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Activity
- Decrease in MRI Activity: Significant reductions in T2 MRI activity and gadolinium-enhancing lesions were observed in ocrelizumab-treated patients compared to baseline.
Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)
- Stable or Improved EDSS Scores: Most studies reported stable or improved EDSS scores in ocrelizumab-treated patients, with some noting significant improvement or progression in specific MS types.
Evidence of Disease Activity
- No Evidence of Disease Activity (NEDA): Over 50% of patients treated with ocrelizumab for up to 2 years were classified as NEDA.
Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL)
- Improvement in HRQoL: Studies reported stable or improving HRQoL outcomes in patients treated with ocrelizumab, with one study noting a significant improvement in the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) at 1 year.
Discussion
- Consistency with Clinical Trials: Real-world effectiveness outcomes for ocrelizumab in RRMS and PPMS patients are consistent with those reported in pivotal clinical trials, despite the diversity of study populations and geographical regions.
- Need for Further Research: While initial real-world data are promising, further studies with longer follow-up times are necessary to fully understand ocrelizumab's long-term impact on MS patients.
