New study finds reduced antibodies from COVID vaccines in MS patients on certain DMTs
KnowledgeA study published in the Annals of Neurology last month found that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) on certain disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) produced less antibodies in response to the SARS-CoV-2 - or COVID-19 - vaccination in comparison to the general populace.
Corresponding author Ruth Dobson, along with a large group of colleagues from the Barts MS team, conducted the research to investigate the effect of DMTs on immune response to COVID-19 vaccines in people with MS.
The team took dried blood spot samples from 473 people with MS and used information about COVID-19 and vaccine history, medical, and drug history were extracted from questionnaires and medical records. They found that those people with MS treated with anti-CD20 medications, and those treated with fingolimod, both had lower antibody responses to the vaccine.
Key comments from amongst the paper's 'discussion' summarise some of the findings well:
The paper discusses some of the opportunities for further research, and implications for practice, such as:
They also offer some assurances to those with MS who are currently being treated with a DMT impacting vaccine response - particularly those on anti-CD20 medication ocrelizumab:
Find the open access study online.
Really pleased that this collaborative work is published today. We show that antibody responses to COVID vaccination are lower in people receiving anti-CD20 and fingolimod. This fits with other published and preprint work. https://t.co/OMWodemRDN
— Ruth Dobson (@drruthdobson) November 18, 2021
Ref: Tallantyre EC, Vickaryous N, Anderson V, Asardag AN, Baker D, Bestwick J, Bramhall K, Chance R, et al; 'COVID-19 Vaccine Response in People with Multiple Sclerosis', Annals of Neurology, First published: 22 October 2021 doi.org/10.1002/ana.26251
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