To report pregnancy outcomes and disease activity (DA) in women with MS, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs), and other neuroimmunologic diseases (ONID) after treatment with rituximab (RTX)/ocrelizumab (OCR) 12 months before or during pregnancy.
Data were collected in the German MS and pregnancy registry and centers from the Neuromyelitis Optica Study Group. Sixty-eight known outcomes of 88 pregnancies from 81 women (64 MS, 10 NMOSD, and 7 ONID) were included and stratified in 3 exposure groups: >6M-group = RTX/OCR >6 but ≤12 months before the last menstrual period (LMP) (n = 8); <6M group = RTX/OCR <6 months before the LMP (n = 47); preg group = RTX/OCR after the LMP (n = 13).
Pregnancy outcomes were similar between groups, but significantly more preterm births (9.8% vs 45%) occurred after exposure during pregnancy. Overall, 2 major congenital abnormalities (3.3%), both in the preg group, were observed. Three women had severe infections during pregnancy. All women with MS (35) and 12/13 women with NMOSD, RTX/OCR exposure before the LMP and known pregnancy outcomes after gestational week 22 were relapse free during pregnancy. Five of 29 (17.2%) women with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 1 of 12 (8.3%) with NMOSD and at least 6 months postpartum follow-up experienced a relapse postpartum. Duration of RTX/OCR and early retreatment but not detection of B-cells were possible predictors for postpartum relapses in patients with RRMS/NMOSD.
(1) Merck Serono (2) Biogen (3) Novartis (4) TEVA (5) Sanofi/Genzyme (6) Roche (7) Alexion (8) Celgene (9) Bayer Vital
(1) Merck Serono: travel, speaker honoraria (2) Biogen: travel, speaker honoraria (3) Novartis: travel, speaker honoraria (4) TEVA: travel, speaker honoraria (5) Sanofi/Genzyme: travel, speaker honoraria (6) Roche: speaker honoraria (7) Alexion: speaker honoraria (8) Celgene: travel, speaker honoraria (9) Bayer Vital: speaker honoraria
Serving on a scientific advisory board for Alexion, Biogen, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi .
Speaker honoraria and travel fees from Alexion, Bayer, Biogen, CSL Behring, DIAMED Medizintechnik, Grifols, Ipsen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi and Teva.
1. Roche Pharma GmbH, served on a national scientific advisory board. 2. Alexion Pharma GmbH, served on a national scientific advisory board.
1. Novartis, funding for speaking at a conference. 2. Ipsen, funding for speaking at a conference. 3. Alexion, funding for speaking at a conference. 4. Roche, funding for speaking at a conference. 5. Bayer Healthcare, funding for travel to a conference. 6. Biogen Idec, funding for travel to a conference. 7. Genzyme, funding for travel to a conference. 8. TEVA, funding for travel to a conference. 9. Merz, funding for travel to a conference. 10. Merck, funding for travel to a conference.
(1) Bayer, travel and speaker honoraria (2) Novartis, travel and speaker honoraria (3) Biogen, travel and speaker honoraria (4) Merck Serono, travel and speaker honoraria (5) Teva, travel and speaker honoraria (6) Sanofi-Genzyme, travel and speaker honoraria (7) Roche, travel and speaker honoraria (8) Almirall, speaker honoraria (9) Alexion, travel and speaker honoraria (10) Celgene, travel and speaker honoraria
(1) German Ministry of Science (BMBF), PI for NationNMO/KKNMS (NationNMO‐PAT FKZ 01GI1602B), since 2016
(1) German Research Foundation (DFG), PI in GRK2578, since 2020
1.) Genzyme: Honoraria for speaking engagements 2.) Novartis: Honoraria for speaking engagements 3.) Novartis: Costs of congress participation including travel costs and Hotel 4.) Merck: Costs of congress participation including travel costs and Hotel 5.) Bayer: Costs of congress participation including travel costs and Hotel
He received travel funding and/or speaker honoraria from Biogen-Idec, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche, TEVA, Bayer and Genzyme.
He receives research support from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS; PP 1660), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; WE 3547/4-1), from Novartis, TEVA, Biogen-Idec, Roche, Merck and the ProFutura Programm of the Universitätsmedizin Göttingen.
He receives research support from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS; PP 1660), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; WE 3547/4-1), from Novartis, TEVA, Biogen-Idec, Roche, Merck and the ProFutura Programm of the Universitätsmedizin Göttingen.
(1) Biogen, funding for travel (2) Novartis, funding for travel (3) Merck, funding for travel (4) Biogen Idec Germany, speaker honoraria (5) Teva, speaker honoraria (6) Sanofi Genzyme, speaker honoraria (7) Novartis, speaker honoraria (8) Bayer Healthcare, speaker honoraria (9) Merck Serono, speaker honoraria (10) Roche, speaker honoraria
Biogen, Bayer Healthcare, Teva, Merck, Roche, Sanofi- Genzyme and Novartis
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