Kathleen Hawker, MD, Group Medical Director at Genentech, describes two abstracts presented at the European Academy of Neurology Congress (EAN 2020) showing the benefits of the drug satralizumab to treat adolescent and adult patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease (NMOSD). The two abstracts are:
- Greenberg BG et al. Safety of satralizumab based on pooled data from phase 3 studies in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Abstract EPR2140. Available at: ean.org/ean/congress-2020a
- Hemingway C et al, Adolescents with NMOSD achieved similar exposures and favorable safety profile when treated with the adult satralizumab dosing regimen. Abstract EPR2140. Available at: ean.org/ean/congress-2020b
NMOSD is a rare autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that damages the optic nerve and spinal cord, causing blindness, muscle weakness, and paralysis.
Satralizumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-6, an inflammatory factor linked to the pathophysiology of NMOSD. The drug is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat patients with NMOSD.As Dr. Hawker states in this video clip, “I had many patients that had NMO, and this goes back a very long time, and I wish I had had a drug like satralizumab that could prevent the relapses and prevent the deterioration of the quality of life.”
For more information about NMOSD and other autoimmune disorders, visit checkrare.com/diseases/autoimmune-auto-inflammatory-disorders/