Shorter Infusion Time Approved for Ocrevus

December 14, 2020 – The U.S. FDA has approved an additional, shorter infusion time for Ocrevus® (ocrelizumab). Manufactured by Roche, the drug is indicated to treat adults who have relapsing or primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Ocrevus can now be administered via intravenous infusion over the course of either 3.5 hours (the original infusion time) or two hours.

An estimated one million people in the United States live with MS. The disease occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective myelin sheaths that cover the body’s nerves. This can lead to issues that include vision problems, fatigue, pain, and poor muscle coordination. Over time, MS can damage the nerves themselves. Ocrevus works by targeting CD20-positive B cells, a specific type of immune cell believed to play a role in MS. It is believed that Ocrevus helps prevent these cells from causing damage to the nerves and myelin sheaths.

In a clinical trial, the rate of infusion reactions was comparable between a two-hour infusion and a 3.5- hour infusion. Over 98% of infusion reactions resolved without complications in both groups.

Recommended dosing with Ocrevus requires two initial doses administered over the course of at least 2.5 hours, two weeks apart. Subsequent doses are administered every three months over the course of either two hours or 3.5 hours.

Ocrevus first received FDA approval in 2017.