Abstract

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disorder affecting the brain and spinal cord with an autoimmune component. It is the first cause of non-traumatic disability in about 2 million individuals worldwide. Despite several approved disease-modifying therapies (DMT) for the treatment of MS, a high relapsing rate still unresolved. Alemtuzumab is an innovative treatment for relapsing-remitting MS. We aimed to assess the real-world experience of alemtuzumab effectiveness in Mexican medical centers.

Materials and Methods: An observational, retrospective, multicenter, post-marketing study was performed. Data set were collected by a web-based survey. Clinical history, laboratory tests, and imaging scans were collected. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was used to assess disability improvement at 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment onset, before 2^nd treatment cycle, and last record. All adverse events experienced along was reported.

Results: A total of 38 cases were recorded, of which 26 (68.4%) were female. The median age was 38.5 years (range 19 - 69). Twentytwo patients (84.2%) were treated with previous DMTs, and 6 (15.8%) started alemtuzumab as the first option. Most participants had an improvement in EDSS after 24 weeks of treatment (24 weeks: 61.3%, before the 2nd cycle: 61.6%, last recorded: 65.8%). The remaining patients had stable EDSS and only one patient had a lower EDSS before their 2nd treatment cycle. An univariate logistic regression analysis showed that, in contrast with relapsing subjects, non-relapsing patients were 3.8 times more likely to have received alemtuzumab (OR 3.81, CI 95% 1.09 - 13.30; p = 0.036).

Conclusion: Alemtuzumab demonstrated its effectiveness and safety for relapsing MS patients in a real-world setting.

Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis; Alemtuzumab; Neurology; Real-World Evidence

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