Efficacy and safety of alemtuzumab in Korean multiple sclerosis patients

Risk of secondary autoimmune diseases with alemtuzumab treatment for multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and purpose

The objective of this study is to evaluate the risk of secondary autoimmune diseases in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with alemtuzumab (ALZ) through a meta-analysis.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, OVID, EMBASE, and Cochrane central register of controlled trials were searched. Information and data were screened and extracted by 2 researchers. The obtained data were analyzed using the R software meta package. Quality assessment was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The causes of heterogeneity were analyzed using subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots and Egger's test.

Results

The search retrieved a total of 3530 papers from the databases. After screening, a total of 37 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The analysis results indicate that the pooled incidence rate of overall secondary autoimmune events (SAEs) in the included studies was 0.2824 [0.2348, 0.3300] (I²=94%, p<0.01). The overall incidence of autoimmune thyroid events (ATE) was 0.2257 [0.1810, 0.2703] (I²=94%, p<0.01). Among them, the rate of serious autoimmune thyroid events (SATE) was 0.0541 [0.0396, 0.0687] (I²=0%, p=0.44). The incidence rates of different thyroid events were as follows: Graves' disease (GD), 0.2266 [0.1632, 0.2900] (I²=83%, p<0.01); Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT), 0.0844 [0.0000, 0.2262] (I²=81%, p=0.02); Hashimoto thyroiditis with hypothyroidism (HTwH), 0.0499 [0.0058, 0.0940] (I²=37%, p=0.21); fluctuating thyroid dysfunction (FTD), 0.0219 [0.0015, 0.0424] (I²=0%, p=0.40); transient thyroiditis (TT), 0.0178 [0.0062, 0.0295] (I²=0%, p=0.94). The overall incidence of hematological events was 0.0431 [0.0274, 0.0621] (I²=70%, p<0.01). The incidence rates from high to low were as follows: lymphopenia, 0.0367 [0.0000, 0.0776] (I²=81%, p=0.02); Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), 0.0258 [0.0199, 0.0323] (I²=25%, p=0.15); Hemolytic anemia (HA), 0.0177 [0.0081, 0.0391] (I²=29%, p=0.23); pancytopenia, 0.0136 [0.0000, 0.0314] (I²=0%, p=0.67); Neutropenia, 0.0081 [0.0000, 0.0183] (I²=0%, p=0.42). After excluding thyroid and hematological diseases, the combined incidence of other related SAEs was 0.0061 [0.0014, 0.0109] (I²=50%, p=0.02). The incidence of each disease ranked from highest to lowest as: skin psoriasis (SP), 0.0430 [0.0000, 0.0929] (I²=0%, p=0.57); alopecia areata (AA), 0.0159 [0.0024, 0.0372] (I²=19%, p=0.29); vitiligo, 0.0134 [0.0044, 0.0223] (I²=0%, p=0.81); inflammatory atrichia (IA), 0.0103 [0.0000, 0.0232] (I²=0%, p=0.43); chronic urticaria (CU), 0.0107 [0.0000, 0.0233] (I²=0%, p=0.60); and nephropathy, 0.0051 [0.0000, 0.0263] (I²=62%, p=0.02).

Conclusion

The occurrence of secondary autoimmune diseases in patients with MS treated with ALZ is noteworthy, particularly in the form of thyroid events and hematological events. Clinicians should monitor the overall condition of patients promptly for early management and avoid delayed diagnosis and treatment.

Systematic review registration

inplasy.com/inplasy-2024-4-0048/, identifier INPLASY202440048.

Ethnic disparities in the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disorder which affects 2.8 million people world-wide. A growing body of evidence shows ethnic disparities in MS. This review aims to evaluate differences, based upon ethnic background, in the incidence, prevalence, disease course, and efficacy of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) among people with MS (PwMS).

METHOD

Ethnicities were classified as White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern and North African (MENA). A literature search was conducted using the PubMed search engine to identify articles on MS and ethnicity that were published in the English language between 01/01/2005 and 31/05/2022.

RESULTS

101 studies met all inclusion criteria. Although the incidence and prevalence of MS varied among ethnicities, findings were inconsistent and depended on the continent of the study. Ethnicity may have an impact on the disease course. PwMS from Black, Hispanic, and MENA, but not Asian ethnicities, appeared to accumulate physical disability at a faster rate than those from White ethnicity. Although there was a lack of studies evaluating the relative safety and efficacy of DMTs among various ethnicities, interferon-beta was found to be less efficacious in PwMS from Black ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Further studies, with more uniform definitions of ethnicity are required to comprehensively understand ethnic disparities in MS, in particular to identify underlying causes, to facilitate the delivery of personalised medical care and avoid inequity.

Update on infective complications in patients treated with alemtuzumab for multiple sclerosis: review and meta-analysis of real-world and randomized studies

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to systematically assess the pooled prevalence of infective complications in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-world studies (RWSs) investigating alemtuzumab treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS), also looking at selected infections and their severity.

METHODS

We included in the analysis RCTs and RWSs investigating the use of alemtuzumab in MS in which infective complications were reported, as well as case reports of rare infections. We conducted a meta-analysis of proportions and a random effect model meta-regression to investigate heterogeneity.

RESULTS

The pooled prevalence of infective complications in alemtuzumab treated MS patients is 24%. The most common reported infections are respiratory tract infections (47%) and the most part of the infections are mild-to-moderate (85%). Severe infections account for 6% of the total estimate. We found first-time-reported cases of invasive aspergillosis, hepatitis E virus infection, EBV hepatitis, and cerebral toxoplasmosis. The prevalence of infections is higher in studies conducted before 2009, and in studies with higher proportion of male participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians should be aware that the prevalence of serious infections during alemtuzumab can be higher than expected from RCTs. Peculiar opportunistic infections should be considered when evaluating a patient treated with alemtuzumab who develops signs of infection.

Risk of invasive fungal infections among patients treated with disease modifying treatments for multiple sclerosis: a comprehensive review

Introduction: Disease modifying treatments are commonly used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. As different opportunistic infections have been reported, concerns are also raised regarding the risk of invasive fungal infections.Areas covered: Both clinical trials and observational studies on safety and efficacy of diseases modifying treatment for multiple sclerosis were reviewed and data regarding the occurrence of invasive fungal infections were reported. Papers evaluating the following drugs were reviewed: rituximab, ocrelizumab, alemtuzumab, fingolimod, natalizumab, dimethyl fumarate, interferon, glatiramer acetate, cladribine, teriflunomide.Expert opinion: Overall, the occurrence of invasive fungal infections was low, with most infective events reported among patients treated with monoclonal antibodies and fingolimod. Aspergillosis and cryptococcal meningitidis were the most representative fungal infections. Although not common, these infections may be difficult to diagnose and their fatality rate is often high. For this reason, screening protocols for fungal infections must be implemented in the clinical practice when managing patients with MS.

Efficacy and Safety of Alemtuzumab in Patients of African Descent with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: 8-Year Follow-up of CARE-MS I and II (TOPAZ Study)

INTRODUCTION

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients of African descent have increased risk for disease progression and may be less responsive to disease-modifying therapy.

METHODS

Patients in the CARE-MS studies received alemtuzumab 12 mg/day [initial alemtuzumab treatment (IAT); baseline: 5 days; 12 months later: 3 days] or subcutaneous interferon beta-1a (SC IFNB-1a) 3 ×/week. Core study outcomes were compared between treatment groups. In the extension study CAMMS03409, SC IFNB-1a-treated patients switched to alemtuzumab [delayed alemtuzumab treatment (DAT)]. Data from IAT and DAT arms were pooled to assess outcomes through 6 years post alemtuzumab initiation; IAT patients had an additional 2 years of follow-up in TOPAZ.

RESULTS

Of 1200 CARE-MS patients, 43 (4%) were of African descent (35 IAT; 8 DAT) and received alemtuzumab in the 2-year core and/or 6-year extension; 29 (67%) remained on study at the time of analysis (24 IAT patients completed year 8 post alemtuzumab; 5 DAT patients completed year 6 post alemtuzumab). In year 2, annualized relapse rate (ARR; 0.09 versus 0.42), percentage of patients with improved Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS; 18% versus 11%), 6-month confirmed disability improvement (CDI; 28% versus 13%), no evidence of disease activity (55% versus 13%), and cumulative brain volume loss (BVL; - 0.55% versus - 1.32%) favored alemtuzumab versus SC IFNB-1a. Alemtuzumab remained efficacious at year 6 (pooled IAT/DAT) and at year 8 (IAT only) post alemtuzumab (ARR: 0.15 and 0.30; improved EDSS: 17% and 25%; CDI: 47% and 55%; BVL: - 1.14% and - 0.70%, respectively). No safety signals were unique to this population.

CONCLUSIONS

Alemtuzumab was efficacious in a small cohort of relapsing-remitting MS patients of African descent over 8 years. Safety was consistent with the overall CARE-MS population, although the small sample size may have prevented the detection of known low-frequency adverse events. CLINICALTRIALS.

GOV REGISTRATION NUMBERS

CARE-MS I, II, extension, TOPAZ: NCT00530348, NCT00548405, NCT00930553, NCT02255656.

FUNDING

Sanofi (Cambridge, MA, USA) and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals (Leverkusen, Germany).