AHSCT is increasingly used to treat people with aggressive forms of MS. To establish its relative efficacy, randomised-controlled trials comparing AHSCT with high-efficacy treatments are necessary. Of such trials, 4 are ongoing. Currently, the main source of information on the efficacy of AHSCT are observational studies. Prof. Paolo Muraro (London Bridge Hospital, UK) presented a large retrospective analysis of a cohort of patients with MS who were treated with AHSCT between 2002 and 2023 at 14 UK centres [1]. The results were focused on effectiveness. Outcomes used were relapse-free survival (RFS), MRI-activity-free survival (MFS), progression-free survival (PFS), no evidence of disease activity (NEDA), and confirmed improvement of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).
The study cohort consisted of 363 patients with MS, 209 (62%) of whom had relapsing-remitting MS, and 129 (38%) progressive MS (46 had primary MS). Their median age was 40 years, median EDSS was 6.0, and median disease duration was 10 years.
Treatment-related mortality (TRM) occurred in 4 patients (1.1%). At 2 and 4 years after AHSCT, RFS was 94.6% and 88.6%, respectively. MFS was 88.2% and 78.8%, PFS 83.5% and 62.4%, and NEDA 72.0% and 48.5%, respectively. Prof. Muraro considered the PFS results, which are probably the most important for patients, to be good, as well as the NEDA results. An even bigger success he considered the cumulative EDSS improvement: 24.6% at 2 years and 26.8% at 5 years. The prevalence of this improvement was 24.2% and 20.4%, respectively.
Ongoing randomised-controlled trials will further compare the efficacy of AHSCT with high-efficacy disease-modifying therapy, including for patients with relapsing-remitting MS in the STAR-MS trial (ISRCTN88667898) in the UK [2].
- Muraro P, et al. Real-world effectiveness and safety of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in MS: The UK experience in 363 patients treated during 2002-2023. Abstract O018, ECTRIMS 2024, 18–20 September 2024, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Brittain G, et al. BMJ Open. 2024;14(2):e083582.
Medical writing support was provided by Michiel Tent
Copyright ©2024 Medicom Medical Publishers
Posted on
Previous Article
« B-cell-tailored dosing of ocrelizumab shows good results Next Article
FINE-HEART: Finerenone demonstrates benefits in patients with T2D »
« B-cell-tailored dosing of ocrelizumab shows good results Next Article
FINE-HEART: Finerenone demonstrates benefits in patients with T2D »
Table of Contents: ECTRIMS 2024
Featured articles
Revised McDonald criteria allow earlier and more precise MS diagnosis
Tolebrutinib slows disability in non-relapsing secondary progressive MS
Online First
Revised McDonald criteria allow earlier and more precise MS diagnosis
Blood markers predict MS progression
High depression genetic burden associated with MS disease activity
More comorbidity is associated with worse clinical outcomes in MS
First-line moderate-efficacy DMTs show similar efficacy
Tolebrutinib slows disability in non-relapsing secondary progressive MS
Frexalimab shows favourable safety and efficacy in OLE
Transfer of ocrelizumab into breastmilk is negligible
Ineffective response to EBV in MS not seen in similar diseases
Encouraging real-world results of AHSCT to treat aggressive MS
Tolebrutinib slows disability worsening in relapsing MS
High-dose simvastatin does not slow disability progression in SPMS
Gut microbiota modulates inflammation and cortical damage
Related Articles
November 25, 2020
Serum NfL as biomarker for suboptimal treatment response
December 4, 2023
Breakthrough in Predicting MS Progression Through Genetic Testing
© 2024 Medicom Medical Publishers. All rights reserved. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy
HEAD OFFICE
Laarderhoogtweg 25
1101 EB Amsterdam
The Netherlands
T: +31 85 4012 560
E: publishers@medicom-publishers.com