Biotech Strategy Blog

Commentary on Science, Innovation & New Products with a focus on Oncology, Hematology & Immunotherapy

Posts tagged ‘multiple sclerosis’

New directions in autoimmune conditions

New directions coming up for a number of agents – who are the likely winners?

It’s nearly a decade since I was last in Copenhagen for a conference and oddly, it seems to be a venue signalling new directions are taking place for pipeline agents.

Last time around it was a watershed moment of sorts for the DDR niche with a raft of key data presented on PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer.

This time around the focus is on a completely different niche and indication altogether!

Ahead of some key phase 2 and 3 clinical data coming up this month, here’s our latest conference preview with a look at what to expect and watch out for…

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Is ocrelizumab a game changer in MS?

At the 2015 European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) meeting Barcelona on Friday, Dr Stephen Hauser (UCSF) presented the data for octrelizumab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, on behalf of the investigators in the OPERA trial.  This study compared octrelizumab to a standard of care at the time the study started i.e. IFN β-1a (Rebif).

Roche previously announced that ocrelizumab is the first investigational medicine to show positive pivotal study results in both relapsing and primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS):

  • Ocrelizumab showed superiority to interferon beta-1a (Rebif®) in two identical Phase III studies in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common form of the disease.
  • Ocrelizumab is the first investigational medicine to show efficacy in people with primary progressive MS in a large Phase III study.

In addition, Dr Montalban presented the latest data for octrelizumab in primary progressive MS versus placebo (there are no approved therapies for this segment) on behalf of the ORATORIO investigators.

Here on BSB we have extensively covered other anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies such as rituximab, ofatumumab and obinutuzumab in oncology indications specifically associated with hematologic malignancies, so what’s special about this same target and the results in MS with a different chemical entity?

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