Control of disease activity with large extended-interval dosing of rituximab/ocrelizumab in highly active pediatric multiple sclerosis
Mélany Venet, Anne Lépine, Adil Maarouf, Damien Biotti, Clémence Boutière, Olivier Casez, Mikaël Cohen, Pierre Durozard, Sarah Demortière, Laetitia Giorgi, Élisabeth Maillart, Guillaume Mathey, Laure Mazzola, Audrey Rico, Jean‐Philippe Camdessanché, Kumaran Deiva, Jean Pelletier, Bertrand Audoin
Abstract
Recent studies in adults suggested that extended-interval dosing of rituximab/ocrelizumab (RTX/OCR) larger than 12 months was safe and could improve safety. This was an observational cohort study of very active pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (PoMS) (median (range) age, 16 (12–17) years) treated with RTX/OCR with 6 month standard-interval dosing ( n = 9) or early extended-interval dosing ( n = 12, median (range) interval 18 months (12–25)). Within a median (range) follow-up of 31 (12–63) months after RTX/OCR onset, one patient (standard-interval) experienced relapse and no patient showed disability worsening or new T2-weighted lesions. This study suggests that the effectiveness of RTX/OCR is maintained with a median extended-interval dosing of 18 months in patients with very active PoMS.