New Ocrevus data show its benefit on disease progression and cognitive outcomes in primary progressive and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Treatment with Ocrevus resulted in a majority of patients experiencing no disease progression in a one-year analysis of CONSONANCE, a first-of-its-kind open-label Phase IIIb trial to evaluate the effect of Ocrevus in SPMS and PPMS patients. After one year, 75 percent of Ocrevus-treated patients with SPMS and PPMS achieved no evidence of progression.

Additionally, 59 percent of Ocrevus-treated patients in the trial achieved no evidence of progression or active disease during one year. Progression was primarily driven by T25-FW (16 percent of patients) and activity of new and/or enlarging T2 lesions (19 percent of patients), detected almost exclusively within the first six months of the trial.

The analysis also demonstrated the positive effects of Ocrevus on cognition, with 70 percent of patients having stable or improved cognition during one year, as measured with the Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Improvement was observed in 34 percent of patients treated with Ocrevus and worsening in 30 percent of patients treated with Ocrevus. At enrollment, patients had moderate-to-severe dysfunction in information processing speed and visuospatial memory, which was stable or improved in a majority of patients after Ocrevus treatment.

After one year of participating in the trial, 75 percent of patients had one or more adverse events and 7 percent experienced at least one serious adverse effect. The interim analysis included 629 patients, and longer-term evaluation of Ocrevus will continue for four years with a target of 900 patients with PPMS or SPMS across 26 countries.

The findings were presented at the 74th American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Seattle. CONSONANCE data will be presented virtually.