Most MS patients saw no disease activity after 6 years on this DMT

A large majority of people with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) experienced no evidence of disease for up to six years while being treated with Tysabri (natalizumab), a study on 121 patients from Hungary has found.

The participants all received every-four-weeks of Tysabri doses from 2010 to 2022. Before starting Tysabri, more than three-quarters had high levels of disease activity. The median follow-up period was three years, with 38 participants monitored for up to six years.

During the follow-up, 97 participants (80.2%) achieved NEDA-3, meaning they showed no evidence of disease activity while on Tysabri. For those who didn’t achieve this, the most common reason was worsening disability measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).

The percentage of people reaching NEDA-3 was highest in the first year (95.9%) and gradually declined to 78.9% by year six. However, each year, at least three-quarters of participants continued to achieve NEDA-3, demonstrating long-lasting benefits

Tysabri “not only [halts] clinical and MRI activity, it significantly reduces disease progression, effectively protects from the worsening of limb function, cognitive and other psychological impairment, and stabilizes the patients’ quality of life in basically every measurable aspect as well,” the researchers wrote.