Abstract: Alemtuzumab is Efficacious in Highly-Active RRMS Patients in CARE-MS II (The 27th Annual Meeting of the CMSC and the 5th Cooperative Meeting of the CMSC-ACTRIMS)

Friday, May 31, 2013: 1:00 PM

Lake Mizzel AB

Stephen Krieger, MD , Neurology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, USA, New York, NY

Douglas L Arnold, MD , Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, and NeuroRx Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada

Jeffrey A Cohen, MD , Mellen Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA, Cleveland, OH

Alasdair J Coles, MD , University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Christian Confavreux, MD , University Claude Bernard, Lyon, France, Lyon, France

Edward J Fox, MD , MS Clinic of Central Texas, Round Rock, TX, USA, Round Rock, TX

Hans-Peter Hartung, MD , Heinrich-Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany, Dusseldorf, Germany

Eva Havrdova, MD, PhD , Department of Neurology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic

Krzysztof Selmaj, MD, PhD , Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland, Lodz, Poland

Howard L Weiner, MD , Brigham and Women's Hospital Center for Neurologic Diseases, Boston, MA

Tamara A Miller, MD , Advanced Neurology of Colorado, Ft Collins, CO, USA, Ft Collins, CO

Cary L Twyman, MD , Associates in Neurology PSC, Lexington, KY, USA, Lexington, KY

Stephen L Lake, ScD , Genzyme, Cambridge, MA, USA, Cambridge, MA

David H Margolin, MD , Genzyme, Cambridge, MA, USA, Cambridge, MA

Michael A Panzara, MD , Genzyme, Cambridge, MA, USA, Cambridge, MA

Alastair Compston, MD , University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Background: In CARE-MS II, alemtuzumab demonstrated a 49% risk reduction in relapses (p<0.0001) and 42% risk reduction in sustained accumulation of disability (SAD; P=0.0084) versus SC IFNB-1a in RRMS patients who had experienced disease activity on prior therapy. Through end of study, alemtuzumab patients were more likely to be MS disease activity-free (32.2%) than IFNB-1a patients (13.6%).

Objectives: Compare the efficacy of alemtuzumab and subcutaneous interferon beta-1a (SC IFNB-1a) on MS disease activity in a subset of patients with highly-active disease in the CARE-MS II study.

Methods: Active RRMS patients (≥2 relapses in previous 2 years; ≥1 relapse in prior year) who had relapsed on prior therapy were randomized to receive alemtuzumab 12 mg intravenously on 5 days at study start and on 3 days 1 year later or SC IFNB-1a 44µg 3-times weekly. Highly-active patients were defined as having ≥2 relapses in year before randomization and ≥1 baseline gadolinium-enhancing lesion. Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was assessed by blinded rater at baseline, quarterly, and for suspected relapses. 6-month SAD was defined as an increase of ≥1 EDSS point (≥1.5 point if baseline EDSS=0) sustained for 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging with and without gadolinium occurred annually. MS disease activity-free was defined as no relapse, no SAD, no new gadolinium enhancing lesions or new/enlarging T2 hyperintense lesions.

Results: We compared highly-active patients receiving alemtuzumab 12 mg (n=101 [23.7%]) with those receiving SC IFNB-1a (n=42 [20.8%]). In the highly-active cohort, 33.3% of alemtuzumab-treated patients and 0% of IFNB-1a patients were MS disease activity-free after 1 year (P<0.0001); through the end of the study 24.2% of the highly-active group treated with alemtuzumab remained MS disease activity-free (P=0.0002). After 2 years, among highly-active patients receiving alemtuzumab and IFNB-1a, respectively: 35.8% and 60.0% had relapses; 7.4% and 17.5% had SAD; 22.1% and 52.5% had gadolinium-enhancing lesion activity, and 60.0% and 92.5% had T2 lesion activity.

Conclusions: In this cohort with highly-active disease despite prior therapy, alemtuzumab resulted in freedom from disease activity in 24% of patients, while IFNB-1a did not achieve this outcome in any patient. Alemtuzumab may therefore provide an important treatment option for this patient group.

DX01 Alemtuzumab is Efficacious in Highly-Active RRMS Patients in CARE-MS II