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. 2022 Jan:57:103345.
doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103345. Epub 2021 Oct 24.

Safety of Natalizumab infusion in multiple sclerosis patients during active SARS-CoV-2 infection

Doriana Landi  1 , Gaia Cola  1 , Vittorio Mantero  2 , Roberto Balgera  2 , Lucia Moiola  3 , Agostino Nozzolillo  3 , Vincenzo Dattola  4 , Leonardo Sinisi  5 , Roberta Fantozzi  6 , Sonia Di Lemme  6 , Diego Centonze  7 , Giorgia Mataluni  1 , Carolina Gabri Nicoletti  1 , Girolama Alessandra Marfia  8
Affiliations

Safety of Natalizumab infusion in multiple sclerosis patients during active SARS-CoV-2 infection

Doriana Landi et al. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2022 Jan.

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic represented a challenge in the management of treatments for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), such as Natalizumab (NTZ). NTZ interferes with the homing of lymphocytes into the central nervous system, reducing immune surveillance against opportunistic infection. Although NTZ efficacy starts to decline 8 weeks after the last infusion, increasing the risk of disease reactivation, evidence is lacking on the safety of reinfusion during active SARS-CoV-2 infection. We report clinical outcomes of 18 pwMS receiving NTZ retreatment during confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. No worsening of infection or recovery delay was observed. Our data supports the safety of NTZ redosing in these circumstances.

Keywords: Multiple sclerosis; Natalizumab; SARS-CoV-2; Safety.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Landi D: received travel funding from Biogen, Merck-Serono, Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva, speaking or consultations fees from Sanofi-Genzyme, Merck-Serono, Teva, Biogen, Novartis, Roche;

Cola G: nothing to disclose;

Mantero V: received travel funding from Biogen, Novartis, Merck-Serono, Sanofi-Genzyme, Roche; Balgera R: received travel funding from Biogen, Novartis, Merck-Serono, Sanofi-Genzyme, Roche; Moiola L: received honoraria for speaking activity at scientific meetings and/or advisory boards from Biogen-Idec, Merck-Serono, Sanofi-Genzyme, Novartis, Roche;

Nozzolillo A: nothing to disclose;

Dattola V: nothing to disclose;

Sinisi L: received congress grants from Merck Serono, Biogen and board grants from Norvartis, Merck Serono;

Fantozzi R: nothing to disclose;

Centonze D: is an Advisory Board member of Almirall, Bayer Schering, Biogen, GW Pharmaceutical, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme and Teva and received honoraria for speaking or consultation fee from Almirall, Bayer Schering, Biogen, GW Pharmaceuticals, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme and Teva. He is also the principal investigator in clinical trials for Bayer Schering, Biogen, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme;

Mataluni G: received travel funding from Almirall, Biogen, Novartis and Sanofi-Genzyme; Nicoletti C.G: received travel funding from Almirall, Biogen, Novartis and Sanofi-Genzyme; Marfia G.A: received speaking or consultation fees from Almirall, Bayer-Schering, Biogen, Genzyme, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Teva, Sanofi-Genzyme.

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