The role of ocrelizumab in recommendations and in the Polish therapeutic programme

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis is a heterogeneous and chronic disease, and the primary goal of treatment is to prevent relapses and slow the progression of disability. Ocrelizumab is a generally well-tolerated disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis, with high efficacy in the treatment of active relapsing forms, and a valuable treatment method for delaying the progression of the disease in patients with the primary progressive form. The activity of relapsing multiple sclerosis is defined on the basis of the clinical course of the disease or radiological findings assessed over a year. The occurrence of clinical relapses and/or activity on magnetic resonance imaging is taken into account. In line with the recommendations of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis and the European Academy of Neurology, as well as in accordance with the guidelines of the American Academy of Neurology, updated in 2021, depending on the disease activity in the early stage of multiple sclerosis, the choice of a disease-modifying drug should be motivated by higher efficacy. Recommendations for the treatment of multiple sclerosis in most countries in Europe and around the world are based on the above-mentioned guidelines. In Poland, recommendations for treatment modifying the course of multiple sclerosis were developed in 2023 by experts from the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Section of the Polish Neurological Society. Treatment based on the B.29 drug programme of the National Health Fund in Poland allows, from 1 July 2023, in addition to escalation, using the induction model based on highly effective therapies as first-line treatment.