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Review
. 2022 Nov;172(15-16):359-364.
doi: 10.1007/s10354-022-00939-w. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

An overview of pivotal trials and real-world evidence for CD20-depleting therapy in multiple sclerosis : Immunotherapy with rituximab, ocrelizumab, and ofatumumab

Arkady Ovchinnikov  1 , Oliver Findling  2
Affiliations
Review

An overview of pivotal trials and real-world evidence for CD20-depleting therapy in multiple sclerosis : Immunotherapy with rituximab, ocrelizumab, and ofatumumab

Arkady Ovchinnikov et al. Wien Med Wochenschr. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system leading to demyelination and neurodegeneration of brain tissue. For a long time, research focused on T cells as the primary mechanism of disease. Driven by reports on the clinical results of B cell-depleting therapies, this therapeutic approach has come into focus in the last decade, and new highly effective treatments have been developed and are now complementing the therapeutic landscape. This review provides an overview of the development of B cell-depleting therapies and shows the advantages and disadvantages of current developments. In addition, we discuss basic considerations for CD20-depleted MS patients in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Autoimmunitiy; MRI; Neuroimmunology; Primary progressive multiple sclerosis; Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

A. Ovchinnikov and O. Findling declare that they have no competing interests.

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