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Case Reports
. 2020 Jul:42:102120.
doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2020.102120. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

COVID-19 in a MS patient treated with ocrelizumab: does immunosuppression have a protective role?

Giovanni Novi  1 , Malgorzata Mikulska  2 , Federica Briano  2 , Federica Toscanini  3 , Francesco Tazza  4 , Antonio Uccelli  4 , Matilde Inglese  5
Affiliations
Case Reports

COVID-19 in a MS patient treated with ocrelizumab: does immunosuppression have a protective role?

Giovanni Novi et al. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a novel disease entity that is spreading throughout the world. It has been speculated that patients with comorbidities and elderly patients could be at high risk for respiratory insufficiency and death. Immunosuppression could expose infected patients to even higher risks of disease complications due to dampened immune response. However, it has been speculated that overactive immune response could drive clinical deterioration and, based on this hypothesis, several immunosuppressants are currently being tested as potential treatment for COVID-19.

Methods: In this paper we report on a patient that has been treated with ocrelizumab (a B-cell depleting monoclonal antibody) for primary progressive multiple sclerosis who developed COVID-19.

Results: Despite complete B cell depletion, patient symptoms abated few days after hospitalization, and he was discharged to home-quarantine. Phone interview follow-up confirmed that, after 14 days, no new symptoms occurred.

Discussion: This report supports the putative role of immunosuppressive therapy in COVID-19 affected patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest Giovanni Novi received speaker honoraria from Merck, Novartis and Roche Malgorzata Mikulska received speaker honoraria from MSD, Gilead, Pfizer, Biotest, Janssen; all outside the submitted work. Federica Briano reports no disclosures Federica Toscanini reports no disclosures Francesco Tazza reports no disclosures Antonio Uccelli: received honoraria or consultation fees from Biogen, Roche, Teva, Merck-Serono, Genzyme, Novartis Matilde Inglese received honoraria or consultation fees from Roche, Biogen, Merck-Serono, Genzyme and research grants from NIH, NMSS, FISM, Novartis and Teva Neuroscience

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