NeuroTalk Support Groups - Kesimpta (ofatumumab), new RRMS drug, has FDA approval

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- - Kesimpta (ofatumumab), new RRMS drug, has FDA approval (https://www.neurotalk.org/multiple-sclerosis/255898-kesimpta-ofatumumab-rrms-drug-fda-approval.html)

Kesimpta (ofatumumab), new RMS drug, has FDA approval

There is a new MS drug that has just received FDA approval. I've been trying to post a link to an article about it. I'll give it one more try.

That didn't work. I don't know why I sometimes get a message saying that my post request can't be fulfilled, but I'll try posting without the link and see what happens.

The drug's brand name is Kesimpta (ofatumumab) and is described as follows in the article I couldn't link to:

Quote:

Novartis today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Kesimpta® (ofatumumab, formerly OMB157) as an injection for subcutaneous use for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS), to include clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease, and active secondary progressive disease, in adults. Kesimpta is a targeted, precisely dosed and delivered B-cell therapy that has shown superior efficacy with a similar safety profile compared with teriflunomide and is a first-choice treatment option for RMS patients1. Kesimpta is the first B-cell therapy that can be self-administered once monthly at home via the Sensoready® autoinjector pen.

--from a Novartis press release dated 8/20/20.

This looks promising.

Kesimpta is an engineered monoclonal antibody which is specific for a protein called CD20 which is found on B cells.

Generally biotherapeutics like Kesimpta can often be used very successfully.

I think it is always good news when a new possibility is available. And it says that is also for SPMS!!

Yes, though it's what they're calling "active SPMS." That usually means that you're still having relapses though your MS is secondary progressive.