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Review
. 2022 Aug;36(8):803-817.
doi: 10.1007/s40263-022-00939-9. Epub 2022 Jul 22.

Efficacy and Safety of Multiple Sclerosis Drugs Approved Since 2018 and Future Developments

Simon Faissner  1 , Ralf Gold  2
Affiliations
Review

Efficacy and Safety of Multiple Sclerosis Drugs Approved Since 2018 and Future Developments

Simon Faissner et al. CNS Drugs. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis treatment made substantial headway during the last two decades with the implementation of therapeutics with new modes of action and routes of application. We are now in the situation that second-generation molecules, approved since 2018, are on the market, characterized by reduced side effects using a more tailored therapeutic approach. Diroximel fumarate is a second-generation fumarate with reduced gastrointestinal side effects. Moreover, several novel, selective, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators with reduced off-target effects have been developed; namely siponimod, ozanimod, and ponesimod; all oral formulations. B-cell-targeted therapies such as ocrelizumab, given intravenously, and since 2021 ofatumumab, applied subcutaneously, complement the spectrum of novel therapies. The glycoengineered antibody ublituximab is the next anti-CD20 therapy about to be approved. Within the next years, oral inhibitors of Bruton's tyrosine kinase, currently under investigation in several phase III trials, may be licensed for multiple sclerosis. Those developments currently offer an individualized multiple sclerosis therapy, targeting patient needs with substantial effects on relapses, disability progression, and implications for daily life. In this up-to-date review, we provide a holistic overview about novel developments of the therapeutic landscape and upcoming approaches for multiple sclerosis treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Simon Faissner and Ralf Gold have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this article. Simon Faissner has received speaker’s and/or scientific board honoraria from Biogen, BMS, Celgene, Genesis Pharma, Novartis, and Roche and grant support from Ruhr-University Bochum, DMSG, Stiftung für therapeutische Forschung, Lead Discovery Center GmbH, and Novartis. Ralf Gold serves on scientific advisory boards for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Biogen, Bayer Schering Pharma, and Novartis; has received speaker honoraria from Biogen, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Bayer Schering Pharma, and Novartis; serves as an editor for Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Diseases and on the editorial boards of Experimental Neurology and the Journal of Neuroimmunology; and receives research support from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering Pharma, Genzyme, Merck Serono, and Novartis.

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