Journal Article

A multi-centre longitudinal study analysing multiple sclerosis disease-modifying therapy prescribing patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic

Spelman, Tim, Eichau, Sara, Foschi, Matteo, Van der Walt, Anneke, Etemadifar, Masoud, Mrabet, Saloua, D’Amico, Emanuele, Al-Harbi, Talal, Khoury, Samia J., Gray, Orla, Moghadasi, Abdorreza Naser, Butzkueven, Helmut, Baghbanian, Seyed Mohammad, Prat, Alexandre, Laureys, Guy, McCombe, Pamela, Foong, Yi Chao, Rath, Louise, Reddel, Stephen, Surcinelli, Andrea, Alroughani, Raed, Maimone, Davide, Habek, Mario, Sa, Maria Jose, Fabis-Pedrini, Marzena, Lal, Anoushka P., Sanfilippo, Paul G., Altintas, Ayse, Sanchez-Menoyo, Jose Luis, van Pesch, Vincent, Oh, Jiwon, Yetkin, Mehmet Fatih, Al-Asmi, Abdullah, Gross-Paju, Katrin, Cárdenas-Robledo, Simón, Ozakbas, Serkan, Taylor, Bruce, Hardy, Todd A., Gouider, Riadh, John, Nevin, Karabudak, Rana, Lechner-Scott, Jeannette, Spitaleri, Daniele, Girard, Marc, Soysal, Aysun, Duquette, Pierre, Hodgkinson, Suzanne, Buzzard, Katherine, Roos, Izanne, Ramanathan, Sudarshini, Kalincik, Tomas, Jakob, Gregor Brecl, Kermode, Allan G., Ramo-Tello, Cristina, Levitz, David

2024

Overview

Background The COVID-19 pandemic raised concern amongst clinicians that disease-modifying therapies (DMT), particularly anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and fingolimod, could worsen COVID-19 in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). This study aimed to examine DMT prescribing trends pre- and post-pandemic onset. Methods A multi-centre longitudinal study with 8,771 participants from MSBase was conducted. Two time periods were defined: pre-pandemic (March 11 2018–March 10 2020) and post-pandemic onset (March 11 2020–11 March 2022). The association between time and prescribing trends was analysed using multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression. DMT initiation refers to first initiation of any DMT, whilst DMT switches indicate changing regimen within 6 months of last use. Results Post-pandemic onset, there was a significant increase in DMT initiation/switching to natalizumab and cladribine [(Natalizumab-initiation: OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.39–2.13; switching: OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.40–1.98), (Cladribine-initiation: OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.09–1.87; switching: OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.41–1.98)]. Anti-CD20mAb initiation/switching decreased in the year of the pandemic, but recovered in the second year, such that overall odds increased slightly post-pandemic (initiation: OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.06–1.49; Switching: OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02–1.29. Initiation/switching of fingolimod, interferon-beta, and alemtuzumab significantly decreased [(Fingolimod-initiation: OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.41–0.73; switching: OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.41–0.58), (Interferon-gamma-initiation: OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.41–0.57; switching: OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62–0.99), (Alemtuzumab-initiation: OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.15–0.48; switching: OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.17–0.44)]. Conclusions Post-pandemic onset, clinicians preferentially prescribed natalizumab and cladribine over anti-CD20 mAbs and fingolimod, likely to preserve efficacy but reduce perceived immunosuppressive risks. This could have implications for disease progression in pwMS. Our findings highlight the significance of equitable DMT access globally, and the importance of evidence-based decision-making in global health challenges.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adult / Alemtuzumab - therapeutic use / CD20 antigen / Cladribine / Cladribine - therapeutic use / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - epidemiology / Decision making / Female / Fingolimod Hydrochloride - therapeutic use / Humans / Immunologic Factors - therapeutic use / Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use / Longitudinal Studies / Male / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Middle Aged / Monoclonal antibodies / Multiple sclerosis / Multiple Sclerosis - drug therapy / Multiple Sclerosis - epidemiology / Natalizumab - therapeutic use / Neurology / Neuroradiology / Neurosciences / Original Communication / Pandemics / Practice Patterns, Physicians' - statistics & numerical data / Public health / Trends / β-Interferon / γ-Interferon