Strong data from three studies on Roche’s Ocrevus for MS

Roche hopes that recent study data is enough to prove that their drug Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), the first disease-modifying drug approved in primary progressive MS, should replace older drugs currently in use to fight the disease.
Data was drawn from the phase II open-label extension studies of OPERA I, OPERA II in relapsing disease and ORATORIO primary progressive MS, conducted over a 5 year period, which showed that patients with primary progressive MS treated with Ocrevus earlier had less disability and upper limb progression than those who switched from placebo. The earlier patients were treated with Ocrevus, the earlier a reduction in disease activity was seen and less disability in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients compared with those who switched from the older drug interferon beta-1a.
Stephen Hauser, professor of neurology at the University of California, director of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, and member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the OPERA studies said: “From the moment of diagnosis, reducing disease progression is an important goal for people with MS. The new data presented at ECTRIMS demonstrate that OCREVUS’ efficacy continued over five years in relapsing and primary progressive MS, and notably, include the largest body of evidence for any medicine to significantly slow disability progression in primary progressive MS. The data also suggest that OCREVUS rapidly suppressed relapse and MRI disease activity in people with relapsing MS who switched from interferon beta-1α, and additionally, that earlier treatment with OCREVUS reduced disability progression and brain atrophy.”