Cumulative hazard of relapses higher among patients treated with rituximab versus ocrelizumab<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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WEDNESDAY, June 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) — For patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), rituximab is not noninferior to ocrelizumab, according to a study published online June 12 in JAMA Neurology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Izanne Roos, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., from Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, and colleagues examined whether the effectiveness of rituximab is noninferior to ocrelizumab in relapsing-remitting MS in an observational cohort study. Participants had a history of relapsing-remitting MS treated with ocrelizumab or rituximab, a minimum follow-up of six months, and sufficient data to calculate the propensity score. The analysis included 710 patients treated with ocrelizumab and 186 treated with rituximab.<\/p>\n The researchers found that the annualized rate of relapses ratio was higher in patients treated with rituximab versus ocrelizumab (rate ratio, 1.8) over a pairwise censored mean follow-up of 1.4 years. Compared with patients treated with ocrelizumab, those treated with rituximab had a higher cumulative hazard of relapses (hazard ratio, 2.1). There was no difference between the groups in the risk for disability accumulation. In sensitivity analyses, results were confirmed.<\/p>\n “Treatment selection for the individual patient, however, remains a complex and highly personalized decision, which considers additional factors such as availability and affordability of therapy and adverse effects,” the authors write. “Nevertheless, lack of a clinically relevant difference in the effectiveness between these two therapies should not be assumed.”<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry; several pharmaceutical companies provided funding for the study.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n