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Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) often experience relapses that can contribute to long-term physical and cognitive disability. High-efficacy monoclonal antibody therapy has been shown to prevent relapse but is often delayed until adulthood, partly because of concerns about cumulative treatment risks. Could starting therapy in childhood improve outcomes?
Using data from three international MS registries, researchers compared 108 patients who started ocrelizumab, natalizumab, or rituximab during childhood (ages 12–17) with 169 who started during early adulthood (ages 20–22). The primary outcome was change in disability from age 18 to ages 23 through 27, as measured on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS); this scale ranges f…