Earlier Ocrevus treatment may reduce cerebellar shrinkage in MS

Early treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) may help protect the cerebellum, a region of the brain that plays a key role in motor coordination, cognitive function, and emotional regulation, from damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggested.

Data from the clinical studies that supported Ocrevus’ approval showed that patients with relapsing forms of MS and primary progressive MS (PPMS) who began the medication earlier experienced significantly less cerebellar volume loss than those who first received a control treatment or a placebo and started the therapy only in the trials’ open-label extension portions.

These differences were maintained in the long term.

The study, “Short- and long-term effects of early versus delayed treatment with ocrelizumab on cerebellar volume loss in patients with RMS and PPMS,” was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal. The research was funded by Roche, the parent company of Ocrevus’ developer Genentech.

MS is a neurological disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath, a fatty coating around nerve fibers that facilitates the communication between nerve cells. This causes regions of damage, which are seen in MRI scans as lesions, and leads to nerve cell death.