New study finds reduced antibodies from COVID vaccines in MS patients on certain DMTs

A 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.

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