Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) - Efficacy Studies

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is a biological drug that is used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The drug was approved by the FDA in 2017 for the treatment of MS and in 2021 for the treatment of RA.

The action of Ocrevus is based on blocking the CD20 protein, which is present on the surface of some cells of the immune system, including cells that play an important role in the development of MS and RA. Blocking the CD20 protein can reduce the activity of the immune system and reduce inflammation that leads to tissue damage.

Studies on the effectiveness of Ocrevus in the treatment of MS and RA have been conducted for several years. One of the first studies, which was published in The Lancet in 2017, was called "Efficacy and safety of Ocrevus in primary progressive multiple sclerosis." The study was conducted on over 700 patients who received Ocrevus or placebo for 96 weeks. The results showed that Ocrevus significantly reduced the progression of MS compared with placebo.

Another study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2017 investigated the efficacy of Ocrevus in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study was conducted on more than 1300 patients who received Ocrevus or another drug for the treatment of RRMS. The results showed that Ocrevus significantly reduced the number of relapses in patients compared to the other drug.

Studies on the efficacy of Ocrevus in RA have also been conducted. One of them, published in The Lancet in 2019, examined the efficacy of Ocrevus in seropositive RA, which is one of the most severe