In an open-label pilot study, cetirizine was associated with reduced relapses when added to baseline treatment.
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an uncommon autoimmune disease involving astrocytes that has no approved therapies. Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is an antihistamine in widespread use as an allergy medication. Based on its ability to stabilize eosinophils, an established cell type within NMO lesions, investigators studied tolerability and efficacy in this open-label pilot study.
The 16 enrolled patients received cetirizine (10 mg orally) daily for 1 year, in addition to their other NMO disease-modifying therapy. Relapse assessments were scheduled at months 3, 6, 9, and 12. The annualized relapse rate before the study (measured from the start of each participant's current disease-modifying therapy) was 0.4, whereas it was 0.1 during the 1-year study, a s…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardAlexion Pharmaceuticals; Amgen; Astoria; Biogen; Bristol Myers Squibb; Celltrion; Genentech; Hoffmann-La Roche; Genzyme; EMD Serono; Immpact-Bio; Immunic Therapeutics; Kyverna; Lundbeck; Novartis; Sandoz; TG Therapeutics
Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; National Multiple Sclerosis Society; U.S. Department of Defense
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesConsortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (Treasurer)
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardAlexion Pharmaceuticals; Amgen; Astoria; Biogen; Bristol Myers Squibb; Celltrion; Genentech; Hoffmann-La Roche; Genzyme; EMD Serono; Immpact-Bio; Immunic Therapeutics; Kyverna; Lundbeck; Novartis; Sandoz; TG Therapeutics
Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; National Multiple Sclerosis Society; U.S. Department of Defense
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesConsortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (Treasurer)