Utrecht University

Real-World Data Reveals Higher Infection Risk with MS Treatments, Particularly Ocrelizumab

- A systematic review of 22 observational studies found sparse and inconsistent real-world evidence on infection risks associated with multiple sclerosis disease-modifying treatments compared to clinical trial data. - Real-world study of 2,564 MS patients showed ocrelizumab treatment carried nearly double the risk of serious infections compared to platform injectable therapies (OR = 1.98). - Observational findings often contradicted clinical trial results, with natalizumab showing higher respiratory and urinary tract infection risks in real-world settings versus trials. - Time to first serious infection was significantly shorter in ocrelizumab-treated patients, with infection rates of 4.21 per 100 person-years versus 2.64 for injectable therapies.