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No evidence of disease activity (NEDA-3) and disability improvement after alemtuzumab treatment for multiple sclerosis: a 36-month real-world study

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Abstract

In this retrospective, multicenter, real-world study we collected clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of all patients (n = 40) with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with alemtuzumab according to a “free-of-charge” protocol available before the drug marketing approval in Italy. Almost all (39/40) started alemtuzumab after discontinuing multiple disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) because of either lack of response or safety concerns. We considered the proportion of alemtuzumab-treated patients who had no evidence of disease activity (NEDA-3) and disability improvement over a 36-month follow-up period. NEDA-3 was defined as absence of relapses, disability worsening, and MRI activity. Disability improvement was defined as a sustained reduction of ≥ 1-point in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. At follow-up, 18 (45%) patients achieved NEDA-3, 30 (75%) were relapse-free, 33 (82.5%) were EDSS worsening-free, and 25 (62.5%) were MRI activity-free. Eleven (27.5%) patients had a sustained disability improvement. We found no predictor for the NEDA-3 status, while the interaction of higher EDSS score by higher number of pre-alemtuzumab relapses was associated with a greater chance of disability improvement (odds ratio 1.10, p = 0.049). Our study provides real-world evidence that alemtuzumab can promote clinical and MRI disease remission, as well as disability improvement, in a significant proportion of patients with RRMS despite prior multiple DMT failures. The drug safety profile was consistent with data available from clinical trials.

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Acknowledgements

The Italian Alemtuzumab Study Group Angelo Ghezzi, Mauro Zaffaroni, Damiano Baroncini (S. Antonio Abate Hospital, Gallarate (VA), Italy); Fabio Buttari, Diego Centonze (Department of Neurosciences. Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy); Arianna Fornasiero, Marco Salvetti (Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University, S. Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy); Renato Docimo, Elisabetta Signoriello, Gioacchino Tedeschi (Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy); Antonio Bertolotto, Marco Capobianco (Regional MS Centre, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Orbassano (TO), Italy); Giancarlo Comi (Department of Neurology, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, S. Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy); Eleonora Cocco (MS Center, Binaghi Hospital, ASSL Cagliari, ATS regione Sardegna, Cagliari, Italy); Paolo Gallo, Marco Puthenparampil (Department of Neurosciences, MS Centre, University Hospital, Padova, Italy); Roberta Grasso, Valeria Di Francescantonio (Department Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Italy); Maria Rosaria Rottoli (USS Malattie Autoimmuni, A. O. Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy); Massimiliano Mirabella (Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy); Alessandra Lugaresi, Giovanna De Luca, Maria Di Ioia, Valeria Di Tommaso, Luca Mancinelli (Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti, Italy); Giancarlo Di Battista (Neurology Unit, S. Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy); Ada Francia, Serena Ruggieri, Carlo Pozzilli (Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy); Erica Curti, Elena Tsantes (Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy); Barbara Palmeri (U.O.C. Neurologia, Fondazione Istituto “G.Giglio”, Cefalù (PA), Italy); Caterina Lapucci, Giovanni Luigi Mancardi, Antonio Uccelli (Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Genova, Italy); Clara Chisari, Emanuele D’Amico (Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies, Neuroscience Section, University of Catania, Italy); Elisabetta Cartechini (UOC Neurologia, ASUR Marche - AV3, Macerata, Italy); Anna Maria Repice (Neurologia II AOU Careggi Firenze, Firenze, Italy); Eliana Magnani, Luca Massaccesi (Department of Neurofarba University of Florence, Florence, Italy); Paolo Calabresi, Massimiliano Di Filippo, Maria Di Gregorio (Neurologic Clinic. Ospedale Santa Maria della Misericordia. University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy).

Funding

This study was funded by Sanofi Genzyme. The funder provided financial resources for the study conduction, but had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report.

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Correspondence to Luca Prosperini.

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Conflicts of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest. LP: speaker honoraria from Almirall, Biogen, Genzyme, Novartis, Roche and Teva; consulting fees from Biogen, Genzyme and Novartis; research grant from Genzyme and Italian MS Society. PA: consulting and/or lecture fees from Mylan, Roche, Almirall e Merck, Biogen, Genzyme, Novartis and Teva. LB: lecture fees from Merck Serono and Teva. MCB: Merck Serono, Teva, Genzyme, Novartis (scientific board); Biogen, Teva (speaker). AG: speaker and consulting fees from Biogen, Sanofi-Genzyme, Merck Seronoand Teva. MM: honoraria from: Biogen, Novartis, Almirall, Teva. LM: speaking honoraria and/or consultant fees from Biogen, Merck Serono, Sanofi-Aventis, Teva, Novartis. LM: speaking honoraria and/or consultant fees from Biogen, Genzyme and Teva. PP: speaking honoraria and/or consultant fees from Biogen, Merck serono, Teva, Novartis and Genzyme. CA: speaking honoraria and/or consultant fees from Merck Serono, Novartis, Genzyme. VB: speaking honoraria and/or consultant fees from Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, Bayer, Sanofi- Genzyme, Novartis. AB: nothing to disclose. DF: scientific advisory board and speaker honoraria from Merck Serono, Biogen, Sanofi-Genzyme, Bayer Shering and Novartis. EF: nothing to disclose. AF: research funding and lecture fees from Sanofi-Aventis, Biogen Idec, Merck Serono and Novartis. FG: research funding from Sanofi-Aventis and Biogen; advisory boards and speaking honoroaria from Biogen, Novartis, Sanofi Aventis, Merck Serono and Roche. LMEG: scientific advisory board for Merck Serono; funding for travel or speaker honoraria from Merck Serono, Biogen, Sanofi-Aventis, Bayer Schering and Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; institutional research support form Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd, Biogen, Genzyme Corporation, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck Serono, Novartis and Eisai Inc.; research support from Merck Serono, Biogen and Ministero della Salute of Italy. AL: lecturing honoraria from Biogen, Novartis and Teva; consulting fees from Sanofi-Genzyme, Biogen, Merck, Roche; funding for travel from Sanofi-Genzyme, Biogen, Merck Serono, and Teva. GL: scientific advisory boards for Almirall, Novartis, Biogen Idec, Sanofi-Aventis, Genzyme and Bayer Schering; funding for travel and speaker honoraria from Sanofi-Aventis, Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering, Teva Neurosciences, Almirall, Genzyme and Novartis; research support from Novartis, ‘Fondazione C. Serono’, Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering and Sanofi-Aventis. FP: scientific advisory board for Almirall, Bayer, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme, Roche and TEVA; fees for speaking activities by Almirall, Bayer, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme and TEVA. EP: personal fees and non-financial support from Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, Teva, Genzyme and Novartis; non-financial support from “Associazione Marchigiana Sclerosi Multipla e Altre Malattie Neurologiche”. MP: nothing to disclose. PS: nothing to disclose.

Ethical standards

The present study was conducted after approval of the Ethics Committee of Sapienza University (application no. 2923/15 - RIF.CE: 3947 of 17 December 2015). All data were gathered after informed consent was obtained from each participant, in accordance with specific national laws and the ethics standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. In no way this study did interfere in the care received by patients. Anonymized data will be shared upon request by the Principal Investigator (LP).

Additional information

The members of the the Italian Alemtuzumab Study Group are listed in the Acknowledgements and in the electronic supplementary material.

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Prosperini, L., Annovazzi, P., Boffa, L. et al. No evidence of disease activity (NEDA-3) and disability improvement after alemtuzumab treatment for multiple sclerosis: a 36-month real-world study. J Neurol 265, 2851–2860 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-018-9070-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-018-9070-x

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