News

Combining steroids, blood-cleaning treatment aids NMOSD outcomes

Combining blood-cleaning therapies such as plasma exchange or immunoadsorption with standard steroid treatment can improve recovery outcomes in patients having an attack of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a study that reported no significant safety concerns shows. The study, “Efficacy and safety of apheresis therapy in AQP4 antibody‐positive…

Review findings shed light on sex ratio, age of onset in NMOSD

Age at disease onset and sex ratio — the ratio of males to females — among people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) are influenced by the proportion of cases with antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4). That’s according to a review study from an international team of researchers that sheds…

Misdiagnoses common in patients with first symptoms in brainstem

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients whose first symptoms affect the brainstem, which is the bottommost part of the brain, are frequently misdiagnosed and experience higher rates of relapses, according to a two-center study in China. Data also showed about half of these patients initially experienced uncontrollable nausea, vomiting,…

Immunosuppressive therapy found effective in elderly NMOSD patients

Immunosuppressive therapy significantly reduces relapses in elderly people with late-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), with more than half of patients becoming relapse-free, a retrospective study in South Korea has found. Treatment also eased or stabilized disability for most patients, without a marked risk of severe infections, and was…

Long-term rituximab lowers NMOSD relapse risk, eases disability

Treatment with rituximab significantly reduces the risk of relapse and lessens disability in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients with antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4), according to a long-term, retrospective Australian study. Most of the analyzed patients received an initial infusion of rituximab at 1,000 mg, given as two separate…

In NMOSD, Enspryng promotes B-cells’ anti-inflammatory profile

Enspryng (satralizumab-mwge) promotes an anti-inflammatory profile in plasmablasts, the immune cells that produce large amounts of the self-reactive antibodies that drive most cases of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). That’s according to a study analyzing immune cells from NMOSD patients before and after treatment with Enspryng, as well…

Uplizna benefits sustained over long term: Final trial data

Long-term treatment with Uplizna (inebilizumab) was well tolerated and led to sustained disease control for adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). That’s according to final data from the open-label extension period of the Phase 2/3 N-MOmentum clinical trial (NCT02200770), top-line data of which supported the therapy’s…

Area postrema syndrome at NMOSD onset tied to relapse risk

People having area postrema syndrome (APS), that is, uncontrollable nausea, vomiting, or hiccups, as the first symptom of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) are more likely to relapse sooner and more frequently than those having another first symptom. These are the main findings of a single-center study that retrospectively…