Evaluating the Therapeutic Potential of Ublituximab in the Treatment of MS: Design, Development and Place in Therapy

Abstract

B cells are critical to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. B cell depletion using anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has proven to be an extremely successful treatment strategy, with profound suppression of both clinical and radiological evidence of focal inflammatory disease. Several anti-CD20 mAbs are now licensed for use in MS, with ublituximab being the latest to gain regulatory approval. The unique properties of each of the anti-CD20 mAb may result in nuanced differences in timing, duration and depth of B cell depletion, with the potential for such differences to have a clinical relevance to both drug efficacy and adverse effects. In this review, we summarize the design, development, and current place in MS therapy for ublituximab.

Keywords:

• multiple sclerosis
• ublituximab
• B-cell therapy
• anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody

Disclosure

Dr. Jiwon Oh has received grant funding from Biogen-Idec, Roche, and EMD-Serono and has received personal compensation for consulting or speaking from: Biogen-Idec, EMD-Serono, Eli-Lilly, Horizon Therapeutics, Novartis, Roche, and Sanofi-Genzyme. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

Dr. Sarah-Jane Martin is funded by a postdoctoral fellowship from MS Canada. Dr. Jiwon Oh holds the Waugh Family Chair in MS Research from the University of Toronto.