A small study conducted in Lithuania found that a stem cell transplant may be more effective than the drug Lemtrada in reducing disease activity and slowing disability progression in people with highly active relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). While both treatments were initially equally effective, patients who received the transplant showed improvements in disability over time, while those on Lemtrada showed signs of accumulating disability. The study suggests that clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of stem cell transplants in severe disability in MS patients should be considered. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT), which aims to reset the immune system and repopulate it with healthy cells, may help lower disease activity and slow disability progression for patients with highly active MS.
The study examined real-world outcomes from 50 MS patients with highly active disease who were treated with either aHSCT or Lemtrada at a clinic in Lithuania. Over the course of the study, individuals on Lemtrada had a higher annual relapse rate and faster disability progression compared to those who received a stem cell transplant. The proportion of patients achieving no evidence of disease activity (NEDA-3) in the first two years was significantly higher in the stem cell therapy group. Detailed analyses showed that from years three to five, aHSCT outperformed Lemtrada in various aspects, including freedom from MRI activity, relapses, and disability worsening. The study suggests that aHSCT may offer a broader “treatment window” with beneficial effects on disease progression and disability reversal in individuals with highly active MS.
