Roche in Russia Roche.com Contacts Site Map Font size home About Roche Products Research Diseases Press center RIME (For Professionals) Diseases Multiple sclerosis Roche's approach to MS Roche's approach to MS New Hope for MS Patients The cause of the onset of multiple sclerosis is not exactly known; it is currently believed that it can develop as a result of the interaction of a number of unfavorable external and internal factors. One thing is clear: the pathogenesis of MS is closely related to the abnormal activity of the immune system in relation to the myelin sheath of nerve cells, as a result of which signaling in the brain and spinal cord, as well as in the optic nerves, is impaired. This leads to the development of a range of neurological symptoms, including muscle weakness, fatigue, vision problems, and ultimately progressive disability. There are about 2.3 million people worldwide with multiple sclerosis, with most people diagnosed with the disease between the ages of 20 and 40. Patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (the most common type of MS) experience flare-ups, during which new symptoms appear or existing neurological symptoms intensify. Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) is a severe form of the disease characterized by a continuous increase in neurological symptoms, usually without obvious relapses or periods of remission. PPMS is diagnosed in approximately every tenth patient with multiple sclerosis and eventually leads to severe disability. Currently, there are no registered drugs for the treatment of PPMS in the world. However, in 2015, Roche presented the results of three phase III clinical trials examining ocrelizumab in patients with MS, which offers hope for a new paradigm in the treatment of this severe disease. Ocrelizumab is the only study drug that has shown efficacy in primary progressive MS, significantly reducing disability at 12 and 24 weeks. Convincing research results “Ocrelizumab has the potential to significantly change the course of multiple sclerosis, a chronic and disabling disease. It has shown significant improvements over the standard of care in clinical endpoints and imaging in two pivotal studies, ”says Sandra Horning , MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Drug Development at Roche. “Patients with primary progressive MS usually have progressively worsening symptoms and no approved treatments for this severe disease are available,” says Sandra Horning. "Ocrelizumab is the first experimental drug to show a clinically and statistically significant effect on the progression of this disease." Primary progressive MS is characterized by a continuous increase in neurological symptoms, which, as a result, leads to permanent disability of the patient. None of the drugs that have been studied in patients with PPMS have shown significant efficacy. In this regard, there is a great unmet medical and social need for a drug that will allow you to control and change the course and long-term prognosis in patients with PPMS. In February 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated ocrelizumab as a breakthrough therapy for PPMS. In March 2017, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved OCREVUS ™ (ocrelizumab) в качестве первого и единственного препарата для лечения рецидивирующей и первично-прогрессирующей форм рассеянного склероза. На момент установления диагноза у большинства больных РС имеет место рецидивирующая или первично-прогрессирующая форма РС1. «Одобрение FDA препарата ОКРЕВУС знаменует собой начало новой эры для пациентов с рассеянным склерозом и врачей, этот первый в своем классе препарат, нацеленный на B-клетки, появился в результате значительного научного прогресса, – говорит Сандра Хорнинг, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Drug Development at Roche. - To date, there have been no FDA-approved treatments for primary progressive multiple sclerosis, and some patients with relapsing MS remain active and progressively disabled despite using existing therapies. We believe that OCREVUS, given every six months, can change the course of disease in people with MS and are committed to helping those who can benefit from our medication. ” Links: F. Hoffmann-La Roche. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01247324 and NCT01412333. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01247324 and https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01412333. Printing To bookmarks Additionally on the topic Neurology and psychiatry Understanding Multiple Sclerosis Chronicle of MS treatment The role of B cells in MS Breaking the rules: The immune system in MS Legal agreement Confidentiality © 2017 JSC "Rosh-Moscow" 09.10.2017 This website contains information for patients and specialists in the field of medicine and pharmaceuticals in Russia, and may contain information on Roche products that, for one reason or another, is not available or is not officially approved in your country. The information on this site should not be used for self-diagnosis and treatment and cannot be a substitute for an in-person consultation with a doctor.