The Committee for the Expansion of the Medical Health Basket Services has confirmed that starting from 2021, BMS’s (Bristol Myers Squibb) drug will be included to the options for treating multiple sclerosis patients suffering from relapsing-remitting MS. As opposed to other treatments, Zeposia does not require genetic testing first.

Good news for multiple sclerosis patients: the drug Zeposia (ozanimod) has been added to the national health basket, and from 2021 physicians may offer treatment using the drug to relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients as an advanced line of treatment or a first line of treatment for highly active disease. The treatment has been proved to be effective in reducing the characteristics of the disease and is administered as a once daily tablet.

In 2020, the drug was approved by the U.S. FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), following the results of studies that were conducted on more than 2,600 multiple sclerosis patients. The studies have assessed the efficacy and safety of the drug compared to one weekly injection of interferon beta 1a. The treatment with Zeposia has shown significant reduction in the number of relapses and the number of lesions in the brain, and has demonstrated cognitive improvement in patients.

It is known that brain volume loss is associated with disease progression in multiple sclerosis patients and may also constitute an indicator of long term disease progression and cognitive disorder development. Therefore, reduction of brain volume loss is an important objective in treatment. Treatment with Zeposia has been proved to improve brain volume loss compared to interferon beta 1a. In addition, treatment with Zeposia has led to reduced gray matter volume and thalamus volume loss. These results indicate that Zeposia may protect against structural changes related to progression of the disease.

About half of multiple sclerosis patients develop cognitive impairment, particularly slower information processing speed. A decrease in information processing speed is related to impaired quality of life and loss of employment. The cognitive impairment may be progressive, so managing the disease at an early stage is important. In a study that examined the effect of treatment with Zeposia over cognitive processing speed, it was found that prolonged treatment with Zeposia might improve of preserve information processing speed in the long term.

The active substance in Zeposia, ozanimod, is a modulator of the sphingosine 1 phosphate receptor. The drug binds receptors of the immune system cells that are involved in the disease’s activity. The cells remain in the lymph nodes instead of penetrating the central nervous system.

Starting treatment with Zeposia does not require genetic testing first and most patients do not need monitoring when taking the first dose.

The most common side effects include: upper respiratory infection and increase in hepatic enzyme levels. The drug is also being studied for inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease). In effect, Zeposia is the first drug of the sphingosine 1 phosphate group that has proved efficacy in treating ulcerative colitis in a phase III study.

It is very important to have a variety of available treatments. Zeposia, which is administered once daily, has good safety and efficacy profiles with an effect on brain volume loss and cognition improvement, represents an important therapeutic option for patients.