Director, Multiple Sclerosis Center, Ochsner Health

Bridget A. Bagert, MD, MPH

“The mechanism of action is getting at the root cause of multiple sclerosis, which has never been done before, and I don’t think it’s an accident that a study that’s actually targeting the root cause of MS shows results that we’ve never seen before. Again, we’ll see how it all plays out in the larger trials, but the big implication is there is a lot of reason for hope for patients with progressive MS.”

As Bridget A. Bagert, MD, MPH, director, Multiple Sclerosis Center, Ochsner Health, explained in a conversation with 

, literature collected in the last decade has lent credence to the thought that the root cause of multiple sclerosis (MS) is Epstein-Barr virus–infected B cells. For this reason, now, Atara Biotherapeutics is developing a novel agent that targets these cells.

The therapy, ATA188, is an allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy for patients with progressive MS, has been evaluated in a phase 1/2 clinical trial, with results recently presented at the 

37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis

(ECTRIMS), October 13-15, 2021. The data include magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) measurements and suggest that the therapy has a sustained clinical benefit over 39 months. Ultimately, the MTR for unenhancing T2 lesions showed a correlation with EDSS at 6 months (n = 21; ρ = –0.4180; 

 = .0594) and at 12 months (n = 23; ρ = –0.3539; 

 = .1062), with the findings suggesting evidence of a potential remyelination effect based on the increases in MTR associated with EDSS scores.

Bagert, an investigator in the trial, shared her insight into the data and her reaction to the potential shown by these results, despite their early-phase nature. Atara Bio is continuing its investigation of the therapy in an ongoing and enrolling phase 2 portion of the study, called EMBOLD (NCT03283826), which is expected to read out interim results in early 2022.

REFERENCE
Bar-Or A, Pender MP, Hodgkinson SJ, et al. Updated open-label extension clinical data and new magnetization transfer ratio imaging data from a Phase I study of ATA188, an off-the-shelf, allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus-targeted T-cell immunotherapy for progressive multiple sclerosis. Presented at ECTRIMS Congress; October 13-15, 2021; Poster P638.

Videos

After showing potential remyelination effects, the director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Ochsner Health offered her perspective on the latest data for ATA188 in progressive MS. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Treating the Root of Multiple Sclerosis With ATA188: Bridget A. Bagert, MD, MPH

"In progressive MS, our usual yardstick is less disability compared to the alternative, but in this study, not only did the disability slow down—it did more than just stop, it improved. People had improvement in clinical function.”

Research into multiple sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology that has been conducted in the past decade has brought to light the implications and role of Epstein-Barr virus–infected B cells in the disease’s cause. As such, Atara Biotherapeutics has developed an investigational treatment that aims to specifically target the inflammation caused by these infected cells.

(ECTRIMS), October 13-15, 2021. The data include magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) measurements and suggest that the therapy has a sustained clinical benefit over 39 months.

Ultimately, MTR for unenhancing T2 lesions showed a correlation with EDSS at 6 months (n = 21; ρ = –0.4180; 

 = .1062). For those with normal-appearing brain tissue, the correlation results at 6 months and 12 months were as follows: 6 months (n = 20): ρ = –0.2473 (

 = .2932); 12 months (n = 22): ρ = –0.1027 (

 = .6491). The findings suggest that there may be evidence of a potential remyelination effect based on the increases in MTR associated with EDSS scores.

To find out more about the therapy, its potential, and the findings from this study, 

 spoke with investigator Bridget A. Bagert, MD, MPH, director, Multiple Sclerosis Center, Ochsner Health. Atara Bio is still investigating the therapy in an ongoing and enrolling phase 2 portion of the study, called EMBOLD (NCT03283826), which is expected to read out interim results in early 2022.

The director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Ochsner Health discussed the open-label extension data presented at ECTRIMS Congress on ATA188 in progressive MS. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Bridget A. Bagert, MD, MPH

Articles

Treating the Root of Multiple Sclerosis With ATA188: Bridget A. Bagert, MD, MPH

Targeting Epstein-Barr Virus–Infected B Cells With ATA188: Bridget A. Bagert, MD, MPH

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