…Provides information on SPMS diagnosis, active and progressive sub-phenotypes, time to SPMS in historical and contemporary cohorts, age and EDSS score as predictors of SPMS, and patients’ symptom that may herald the transition to SPMS. 10 slides Download slide deck…
…rding the timing of ocrelizumab dosing and vaccination may not be optimal (www.nationalmssociety.org/coronavirus-covid-19-information/multiple-sclerosis-and-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-guidance/Timing-MS-Medications-with-COVID-19-Vaccines). It is unclear why the recommendations state that ocrelizumab initiation may be considered 2-4 weeks after vaccination, whereas >4 weeks is recommended between vaccination and a resumption of ocrelizumab dosing…
…ildren aged 6-9 years (Sheikh et al. Lancet 2021; epublished 14 June 2021; www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)01358-1/fulltext). The Delta variant was also associated with an increased risk of hospitalization (hazard ratio 1.85 vs. Alpha cases). However, hospitalization rates were similarly low for both variants in vaccinated individuals. After two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the effectiveness, defined as preventi…
…w been published (Shaw et al. Lancet 2021;397:2043-2046, free full text at www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)01115-6/fulltext). Adverse events were more common with the mixed-vaccine regimens. In the group receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine followed by the Pfizer vaccine, adverse events included feverishness (34% vs. 10% for AZ/AZ and 21% for Pfizer/Pfizer); chills (38% vs. 12% for AZ/AZ and 24% for Pfizer/Pfizer); headache…
…case mortality rate in Canada and the U.S. is currently 1.8% (worldometer.com). The study did not report the age-adjusted mortality rate but noted that 19.1% of deaths were in MS patients < 50 years and 50.0% of deaths were in individuals aged >60 years. The mortality rate was somewhat higher in patients receiving a B cell-depleting agent (2.5%) compared to other DMTs, such as teriflunomide (1.6%), natalizumab (1.1%), glatiramer acetate (0.8%) an…