treatment

A European Medicines Agency (EMA) committee has recommended that Ultomiris (ravulizumab) be approved to treat adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who are positive for antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4). The recommendation, from the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), will now be reviewed by the European…

People who are younger at the onset of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and those with multiple organ involvement at the first attack by the disease have a higher risk of relapse during treatment with traditional immunosuppressants, a study showed. A reduction in the levels of antibodies against…

A rare case of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in a patient positive for antibodies against both aquaporin-4 (AQP4) protein and the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) was successfully treated with ofatumumab, a B-cell depleting medication approved for multiple sclerosis (MS), a case study reported. According to its researchers, this case represents…

Ofatumumab, a medication approved for multiple sclerosis (MS), effectively prevented relapses and disability progression in a 67-year old woman with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who failed to respond to rituximab, a Chinese case report described. Both ofatumumab and rituximab — often used off-label in NMOSD — promote the…

Undergoing plasma exchange, a blood-cleaning procedure, within 10 days after a relapse of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) may help ease symptoms in children positive for antibodies against AQP4 and who do not respond well to corticosteroids. That’s according to a small study that assessed the safety and efficacy…

What do you do when you’ve run out of choices? That’s where I found myself in May 2020. After living attack-free for 10 years, I was stunned when I found myself dealing with a surprise neuromyelitis optica (NMO) attack. It wasn’t until the end of that summer that I…

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who experience relapses are three times more likely to change their treatment regimen than those who have no relapses, a study found. Researchers also observed that people who experienced optic neuritis with or without brain symptoms, those with shorter disease duration, and…

Tumor removal and immunosuppressive treatment can resolve neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) likely associated with different types of cancer positive for aquaporin 4 (AQP4) protein, according to data from three cases in China. Only two patients showed consistently high blood levels of antibodies against AQP4 (AQP4-IgG) — the most…

SAB Biotherapeutics’ DiversitAb platform has generated specialized antibodies against multiple regions of an abnormal self-reactive antibody, or autoantibody, associated with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). The new antibody-based therapy was found to effectively bind to the NMOSD-causing autoantibody and neutralize it in both in vitro (in lab dishes) and in vivo (inside a…

The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency has approved Uplizna (inebilizumab-cdon) for the treatment of adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who test positive for antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG). The Horizon Therapeutics’ therapy is the first and only man-made antibody against CD19 — a cell surface protein present…