{"id":2161,"date":"2017-08-10T16:02:56","date_gmt":"2017-08-10T20:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=2161"},"modified":"2021-04-16T15:15:01","modified_gmt":"2021-04-16T19:15:01","slug":"recently-approved-multiple-sclerosis-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/recently-approved-multiple-sclerosis-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"FDA approves multiple sclerosis treatment Ocrevus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Until 1993, when interferon beta-1b was approved as the first therapy, there was no treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). In March of 2017, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved <\/span>Ocrevus<\/span><\/a> (ocrelizumab), which brought a renewed hope to people with MS. Since being FDA approved, Ocrevus has been showing much promise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is multiple sclerosis?<\/span><\/h3>\n

There is <\/span>no known cause for multiple sclerosis<\/span><\/a>. There is a widespread belief that MS doesn\u2019t have a single factor that causes it, but rather is a result of multiple factors. Still, MS is considered to be an autoimmune disease, meaning that the body doesn\u2019t recognize a normal part of the body and attacks it, thinking it is foreign. MS affects women significantly more than men by a ratio of 3 or 4 to 1. Although it can be diagnosed at any age, MS is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Ocrevus?<\/span><\/h3>\n

With no cure, current MS treatment options focus on speeding up recovery from attacks, slowing the progression of the disease, and controlling symptoms. There are <\/span>four types of MS<\/span><\/a>, but the two more common types are Relapse-Remitting MS (RRMS) and Primary-Progressive MS (PPMS), which together account for 95% of MS diagnosis. <\/span>Ocrevus is the only medication that treats<\/span><\/a> both RRMS and PPMS, meaning that 95% of people with MS could consider this medication for treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ocrevus works as a monoclonal antibody<\/span><\/a> that binds to specific B-cells. Most B-cells carry an antibody called CD20. CD20 is thought to spark an immune reaction from the body, causing it to attack parts of the body\u2019s nervous system. When binding to the B-cells that carry the CD20 antibody, Ocrevus prevents that immune reaction and thus prevents the breakdown of the nervous system that eventually leads to disability for people with MS. Ocrevus only binds to these cells, and not to plasma cells and stem cells, so that the patient\u2019s overall immune system is not affected.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How is Ocrevus administered?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Ocrevus is administered intravenously every six months. The initial 600 mg dose is given as two separate 300 mg doses, given over 2.5 hours, two weeks apart. After the first dose, each dose is a single 600 mg dose, administered over a three-hour period. This makes therapy convenient for patients using Ocrevus. Having to go in for injections on a biannual basis is a much less burdensome frequency than other treatment options. Oftentimes medication (such as an antihistamine and\/or steroid) will be administered before Ocrevus to prevent a reaction from the medication.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the side effects of Ocrevus?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Potential <\/span>side effects of Ocrevus<\/span><\/a> during administration include:<\/span><\/p>\n