Exploring the Potential Therapeutic Avenue of BTK Inhibitors for Progressive MS: Amit Bar-Or, MD, FRCPC, FAAN, FANA

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

"BTK inhibitors targets B cells and myeloid cells, including microglia. When one thinks of the updated framework of the immunology of MS, we think of immune cell interactions in the periphery involving B cells, myeloid cells, and T cells. They all talk to each other and cross regulate each other.”

Evobrutinib (Merck KGaA/EMD Serono) is an investigational Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor in development for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The treatment has a dual mechanism of action, by B-cell functional modulation instead of depletion, and inhibition of myeloid cells, including microglia. Two independent phase 3 trials, evolutionRMS 1 (NCT04338022) and 2 (NCT04338061), studied evobrutinib to assess its efficacy and safety compared with teriflunomide (Aubagio; Sanofi) in patients with relapsing MS.

At the 2024 Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum, February 29 to March 2, Amit Bar-Or, MD, FRCPC, FAAN, FANA, Melissa and Paul Anderson President’s Distinguished Professor, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, spoke on BTK inhibitors in an industry supported satellite symposium. In the symposium, Bar-Or presented updates and shared his insights on the progress made with BTK inhibitors across the spectrum of MS. During the session, Bar-Or, a coauthor, shared an update on findings from the EVOLUTION trials presented at ACTRIMS Forum 2024.¹

Bar-Or and colleagues noted that the presented findings provided the most comprehensive clinical evidence of efficacy and safety for evobrutinib. At the forum, Bar-Or sat down with NeurologyLive® to discuss how BTK inhibitors affect the interaction between immune cells in MS. He also talked about the key pathological features of progressive MS that BTK inhibitors aim to target. Additionally, Bar-Or spoke about the prospects and ongoing studies regarding the efficacy of BTK inhibitors in progressive MS treatment.

Click here for more coverage of ACTRIMS 2024.

REFERENCES
1. Montalban X, Vermersch P, Arnold DL, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Evobrutinib Versus Teriflunomide in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: Results From the Phase 3 evolution RMS 1 and 2 Trials. Presented at ACTRIMS Forum 2024; February 29 to March 2; West Palm Beach, Florida. Session LB1.