INTRODUCTION:Natalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody prescribed in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, the most prevalent chronic and inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). NEDA (no evidence of disease activity) status is the goal of multiple sclerosis treatment.
METHODOLOGY:The clinical records of 22 patients with multiple sclerosis, followed for a mean of 9.2 years (range: 1.9 -18.3 years) between 2000 and 2018 were analyzed. These patients received treatment with natalizumab in a high-complexity neurological outpatient clinic in Bogotá, Colombia.
RESULTS:Eighteen patients (82%) reached NEDA status within a median time of six months. Seven patients (32%) tested positive for anti-JC virus antibodies. However, none of them developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. During the evaluation period, five patients (23%) presented new lesions and 17 patients (77%) had relapses before reaching NEDA status.
CONCLUSIONS:This study gave an exploratory analysis of the characteristics of a series of patients with MS in the Colombian context. In the retrospective analysis, it was observed that more than 80% of the studied sample that received treatment with natalizumab, reached NEDA status. Despite the methodological limitations inherent to this type of study and sample size, it suggests that natalizumab could be an appropriate medication for the management of multiple sclerosis in Colombia.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.