ACTRIMS 2022 | Study of patients with RRMS treated with cladribine

Description: Virginia Meca-Lallana, MD, La Princesa University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, outlines a study of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with disease-modifying therapy (DMT), cladribine. The study analyzed 87 patients, the majority female, with a mean age of 43 years old, exposed to cladribine for different lengths of time. Dr Meca-Lallana explains that approximately 30% of patients were treatment-naïve, whilst 70% had been previously treated with other DMTs and started cladribine treatment due to suboptimal response to previous treatment, or due to the convenience of cladribine as a more comfortable treatment. The overall reduction in relapse rate after 24 months of treatment was 93%, with no significant changes to Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and no enhanced lesions on MRI. Cladribine was found to be a safe treatment, with over 90% patients presenting good tolerability, with few and mild adverse effects. Dr Meca-Lallana highlights the 50% lymphocyte count reduction rate during the first year of treatment, and 55% from baseline after the second dose. This reduction did not link to opportunistic infections. This interview took place at the ACTRIMS Forum 2022 in West Palm Beach, Florida.