Background: Natalizumab is a highly effective drug for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). A disadvantage of this treatment is the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in patients who are seropositive for the John Cunningham virus (JCV). JCV seroconversion rates increase under natalizumab treatment compared with non-natalizumab using controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol
June 2025
Intravenous natalizumab is an effective treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. However, the standard treatment interval of 4 weeks may be excessive for many patients. Personalized interval extension using therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) can result in adequate drug exposure while reducing hospital visits and healthcare costs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Biomarkers of neuronal and axonal damage (serum neurofilament light (sNfL) and serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (sGFAP)) may provide insight into the aetiology of natalizumab wearing-off symptoms (WoSs).
Objectives: We investigated the longitudinal association between and predictive value of sNfL and sGFAP and the occurrence of WoS in MS patients treated with natalizumab.
Methods: We performed longitudinal measurements of sNfL and sGFAP in NEXT-MS trial participants who completed a questionnaire about WoS.
Mult Scler Relat Disord
October 2024
Background: Several studies reported lower drug concentrations with subcutaneous natalizumab compared to intravenous natalizumab. With the emergence of extended interval dosing, gaining more insight into lower concentrations after subcutaneous administration is essential.
Methods: We compared serum trough concentrations between subcutaneous and intravenous administration within a matched cohort (n = 50).
Background And Objectives: Wearing-off symptoms during natalizumab treatment in multiple sclerosis are characterized by an increase of MS-related symptoms prior to natalizumab administration. The influence of extended interval dosing (EID) on wearing-off symptoms are important to consider, as this might cause hesitancy in initiating or continuing EID.
Methods: Participants of the NEXT-MS trial, in which treatment intervals are adjusted based on drug concentrations, were divided into two groups: an extended group containing participants with at least one week of additional interval extension, and a group with a fixed interval during the trial (range 4-7 weeks).