Browsing by Author "Eichau, Sara"

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Four Years On: Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes Reported in the MSBase Pregnancy, Neonatal Outcomes, and Women’s Health Registry (2020–2024)
(SAGE Publications Ltd, 2025) Jokubaitis, Vilija G.; Alroughani, Raed A.; Altintaş, Ayşe; Eichau, Sara; Hughes, Stella E.; Willekens, Barbara; Boz, Cavit
Background: Family planning is an important aspect of multiple sclerosis (MS), and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) management. Knowledge gaps remain, including optimal perinatal management strategies, and fetal risks associated with disease-modifying therapy (DMT) exposure. Objective: To describe perinatal DMT use, together with pregnancy and neonatal outcomes prospectively recorded in the International MSBase Pregnancy and Women’s Health Registry. Methods: We report summary statistics for data collected between May 2020 and August 2024. Results: A total of 1887 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), 12 primary-progressive MS (PPMS), 2 radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) and 21 NMOSD completed pregnancies were recorded, including 1644 (85.5%) live births, 208 (10.8%) miscarriages, and 6 (0.3%) neonatal deaths. Most women had unassisted (53.8%) or assisted (7.4%) vaginal births. Seventy five percent of pregnancies had DMT exposures within 6 months preconception; 19% of NMOSD, and 62% of MS pregnancies were DMT-exposed during gestation; 18.1% of pregnancies reported in-pregnancy monoclonal antibody DMT exposure. No overt safety signals were seen. Conclusion: This first report from the newly launched MSBase pregnancy registry, establishes an increasing number of pregnancies being conceived on monoclonal antibody therapies. Although no safety signals were observed, it is important to continue monitoring for safety signals in real-world databases as the use of highly effective therapies continues to increase perinatally. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Managing Reactivation of Multiple Sclerosis During Treatment with Natalizumab
(Sage Publications Ltd, 2026) Lizak, Nathaniel; Sharmin, Sifat; Horakova, Dana; Havrdova, Eva Kubala; Eichau, Sara; Van Der Walt, Anneke; Kalincik, Tomas
Background: Following natalizumab failure, it is unknown whether switching to alternative high-efficacy therapies offers superior effectiveness over continuing natalizumab. Objective: To compare different treatment strategies following natalizumab failure. Methods: Patients suffering a relapse during natalizumab treatment with adequate follow-up were identified from the MSBase registry. Following natalizumab failure, natalizumab continuation was compared to switching to anti-CD20 therapies/alemtuzumab/lower-efficacy therapies and treatment discontinuation. The primary outcome was the risk of further relapses. Secondary outcomes included risk of subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity, confirmed disability worsening and disease-activity-free survival. Multivariable proportional hazards models compared outcomes during time-varying therapy exposures. Four sensitivity analyses were conducted with varied inclusion criteria and treatment failure definitions. Results: Of 1553 patients experiencing a relapse during natalizumab treatment, 1037 met the inclusion criteria. Following natalizumab failure, switch to anti-CD20 therapy was associated with a lower relapse risk (heart rate (HR) = 0.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.27-0.84) compared to continuing natalizumab; no differences were observed in MRI or disability outcomes. Treatment de-escalation or cessation was associated with increased relapse risk (HR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.15-1.85; HR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.22-3.55, respectively). We did not find evidence of a difference for switching to alemtuzumab. Sensitivity analyses replicated primary findings. Conclusion: This exploratory study indicates that switching to anti-CD20 therapies following natalizumab failure is associated with a >50% reduction in relapse risk. No differences were seen in secondary outcomes, despite consistent trends. Clinicians may consider anti-CD20 therapies following natalizumab failure, noting further research is needed to confirm differences in MRI and disability outcomes.