Novartis experimental MS pill cuts relapses by third

Novartis reported that its experimental multiple sclerosis drug remibrutinib reduced annualized relapses by 31% to 35% versus Sanofi’s Aubagio in two late-stage trials, equivalent to roughly one relapse every 13 years. Although the results fell short of Roche’s fenebrutinib, which reduced relapse rates by more than 50% versus Aubagio in its trials, remibrutinib showed no Hy’s Law cases and very few elevated liver-enzyme readings, while liver-safety concerns emerged in Roche’s studies. Separately, Roche reported that fenebrutinib reduced measures of chronic brain inflammation and disease activity, including lesion growth and disability progression, in trials involving relapsing and primary progressive MS. A Danish registry study also found that cladribine-treated patients with relapsing-remitting MS had lower relapse rates during the first three years of treatment than before treatment, though longer-term disease control varied.