PHARMAC, the government health agency of New Zealand, will expand patient access to a list of funded treatments for multiple sclerosis, starting on March 1.
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Two global Phase 3 clinical trials testing the investigational oral medication evobrutinib are recruiting participants with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).
The two identically-designed trials EVOLUTION RMS 1 (NCT04338022) and EVOLUTION RMS 2 (NCT04338061) are specifically recruiting people with MS ages 18 to 55.
The trials are recruiting at locations around the world. A full list of U.S. locations for both trials is available at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website; full location lists and contact details are available at the respective links.
Participants in the studies will need to make in-person visits to study sites. Precautions are being taken to help keep participants safe during in-person visits in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rituximab is approved for the treatment of certain blood cancers and rheumatoid arthritis, a type of autoimmune disease. It is marketed as Rituxan, by Biogen, in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. In Europe, it is marketed as MabThera, by Roche’s subsidiary Genentech. Other brand names are used elsewhere.
Because it works to deplete B-cells a type of immune cell known to be involved in autoimmune diseases rituximab also is used off-label to treat MS and other autoimmune disorders such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
However, its long persistence in the body following treatment cessation, along with its ability to cross the placenta after the first trimester, have raised concerns about the therapy’s use both before and during pregnancy. The main worries are for potential B-cell depletion and an increased risk of infection in newborns.