Mar 3, 2021 9:55am
Novartis presented positive study data at the sixth annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Forum from nurses and patients using its Kesimpta auto-injector pen for MS. (Novartis)
Novartis nabbed FDA approval for Kesimpta to treat multiple sclerosis last year, but now it’s getting the thumbs-up from MS patients and nurses.
Novartis presented study data at the sixth annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Forum in late February showing 84% preferred Kesimpta’s self-administration injector pen over rival administration methods.
The kudos from a small, 130-participant study come as Novartis bids to make Kesimpta a first-treatment option. Kesimpta’s chief rival Roche’s Ocrevus, which also works by targeting CD20-expressing B-cells is an infusion treatment.
Senior Editor
Women with MS who continue their disease-modifying therapy, or DMT, throughout pregnancy have lower hospitalization costs and use, compared to those who discontinued their therapy.
That finding comes from a retrospective study conducted by Walgreens in collaboration with AllianceRx Walgreens Prime to understand how non-adherence to these women’s DMTs would impact healthcare cost and utilization over a two-year period. The researchers presented the findings on Feb. 26 at the virtual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Forum 2021.
MS is a chronic condition affecting the central nervous system that affects roughly 2.3 million people worldwide, with women affected two to three times as often as men. According to the National MS Society, none of the DMTs are approved for use during pregnancy yet discontinuing DMTs may cause relapse of disease. However, for certain DMTs, studies do indicate that some patients continue thei
Share this article
Share this article
ORLANDO, Fla., March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ AllianceRx Walgreens Prime recently announced results from research analyzing data of females with multiple sclerosis (MS) who became pregnant, and the impact of adherence to their disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) on hospital utilization and cost. Researchers wanted to understand how non-adherence to their DMTs would impact healthcare cost and utilization over a two-year period. The findings suggest for those women continuing their therapy throughout pregnancy, hospitalization costs and use were lower, compared to those who discontinued their therapy. The retrospective study was conducted by Walgreens, in collaboration with AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, a leading specialty and home delivery pharmacy.
4.6 (9)
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their nurses prefer the Sensoready autoinjector pen for subcutaneous self-administration of Kesimpta (ofatumumab) over other methods for injecting treatments, according to a survey.
The survey was conducted by Novartis, which markets Kesimpta. Full findings from the survey will be presented at the 2021 Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Forum (ACTRIMS), taking place virtually Feb. 25–27.
“For people living with a chronic disease such as MS, access to highly effective treatments and maintaining flexibility in their lives is paramount,” Estelle Vester-Blokland, MD, global head neuroscience medical affairs, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, said in a press release.