New Alzheimer Association AUC, Patisiran Findings from AANEM, Evobrutinib findings from ECTRIMS

This week, Neurology News Network covered the implementation and development of new appropriate use criteria from the Alzheimer's Association, findings from a study of patisiran from the AANEM annual meeting, and a conversation with Fernando Dangond, MD, about findings presented at ECTRIMS about evobrutinib (transcript below).

Matt: Welcome to Neurology News Network. I’m Matt Hoffman. Let’s get into the news from this week.

The Alzheimer’s Association convened a multidisciplinary workgroup to develop and publish new appropriate use criteria, guiding the safe use of lumbar puncture and spinal fluid analysis for Alzheimer disease pathology detection in the diagnostic process. The group finalized 14 indications, rating 6 appropriate and 8 inappropriate.

The criteria were developed to aid health care practitioners on the appropriate and inappropriate use of lumbar puncture to optimize patient safety and care. While developing the criteria, the workgroup evaluated the appropriateness of a wide range of clinical indications based on a review of current evidence, the experience of members with cerebrospinal fluid testing and ethical standards of patient care. These efforts complement the recently published criteria for amyloid PET and CSF recommendations.

Treatment with patisiran maintained improvements in modified neuropathy impairment score with the rapid halting of neurologic disease progression for patients with hATTR amyloidosis, according to findings from a global open-label extension study at the 2018 AANEM Annual Meeting.

In the APOLLO study, which led to the FDA approval of patisiran for hATTR amyloidosis in August 2018, the least mean square change in mNIS+7 from baseline for those treated with patisiran was -6.0 ±1.7 versus 28.0 ±2.6 with placebo. Following 52 weeks of treatment with patisiran in the extension study, patients originally treated with the RNA inhibitor had sustained improvements in neuropathy, and those initially receiving placebo experienced a rapid halting disease progression.

At the 34^th Congress of ECTRIMS, NeurologyLive sat down with Dr. Fernando Dangond, the head of Global Clinical Development in Neurology at EMD Serono, to discuss the big news from the conference: evobrutinib. The highly-specific, oral BTK inhibitor is the first of its kind to show clinical proof-of-concept in relapsing MS. Thus far, the treatment has also proven well tolerated. Dr. Dangond shared his thoughts.

Let’s take a look.

For more direct access to expert insight, head to neurologylive.com. This has been Neurology News Network. Thanks for watching.