Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40603656›Full record

Observational studyJournal of neurology2025

Comparative effectiveness of teriflunomide and ocrelizumab on smoldering activity in multiple sclerosis: an observational study in the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Cohort.

Alessandro Cagol, Sabine Schaedelin, Mario Ocampo-Pineda, Pascal Benkert, Lester Melie-Garcia, Ludovico Luchetti, Özgür Yaldizli, Johanna Oechtering, Marcus D'Souza, Bettina Fischer-Barnicol and 25 more

Abstract readObservational StudyMulticenter StudyComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

35 authors.

Alessandro CagolTranslational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Hegenheimermattweg 167b, 4123, Allschwil, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7703-0553
Sabine SchaedelinTranslational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Hegenheimermattweg 167b, 4123, Allschwil, Basel, Switzerland.
Mario Ocampo-PinedaTranslational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Hegenheimermattweg 167b, 4123, Allschwil, Basel, Switzerland.
Pascal BenkertDepartment of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Lester Melie-GarciaTranslational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Hegenheimermattweg 167b, 4123, Allschwil, Basel, Switzerland.
Ludovico LuchettiDepartment of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Özgür YaldizliTranslational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Hegenheimermattweg 167b, 4123, Allschwil, Basel, Switzerland.
Johanna OechteringMultiple Sclerosis Centre, Departments of Neurology, Clinical Research and Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Marcus D'SouzaMultiple Sclerosis Centre, Departments of Neurology, Clinical Research and Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Bettina Fischer-BarnicolMultiple Sclerosis Centre, Departments of Neurology, Clinical Research and Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Stefanie MüllerClinic of Neurology, HOCH Health Ostschweiz, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Academic and Research Hospital, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Sebastian FinkenerDepartment of Neurology, Cantonal Hospital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
Jochen VehoffClinic of Neurology, HOCH Health Ostschweiz, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Academic and Research Hospital, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Giulio DisantoNeurology Department, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland.
Andrew ChanDepartment of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Caroline PotDivision of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Chiara ZeccaNeurology Department, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland.
Tobias DerfussMultiple Sclerosis Centre, Departments of Neurology, Clinical Research and Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Johanna M LiebDivision of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Clinic for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Michael DiepersDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Cantonal Hospital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
Franca WagnerDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Renaud Du PasquierDivision of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Patrice H LaliveDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, Division of Neurology, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
Emanuele PravatàNeurology Department, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland.
Olaf Chan-Hi KimDepartment of Radiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Robert HoepnerDepartment of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Patrick RothDepartment of Neurology, University of Zurich, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Claudio GobbiNeurology Department, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland.
David LeppertMultiple Sclerosis Centre, Departments of Neurology, Clinical Research and Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Marco BattagliniDepartment of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Ludwig KapposTranslational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Hegenheimermattweg 167b, 4123, Allschwil, Basel, Switzerland.
Maria Pia SormaniDipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, Italy.
Jens KuhleMultiple Sclerosis Centre, Departments of Neurology, Clinical Research and Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Cristina GranzieraTranslational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Hegenheimermattweg 167b, 4123, Allschwil, Basel, Switzerland. cristina.granziera@usb.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4917-8761
Swiss MS Cohort

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study aimed to compare the effects of teriflunomide and ocrelizumab on clinical and MRI endpoints related to smoldering activity in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

methodsIn this observational, longitudinal, multicenter study, we included 128 people with RRMS (pwRRMS) treated with teriflunomide and 495 treated with ocrelizumab. Outcomes included time to progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA). In a subset, we also assessed brain volume loss (BVL), longitudinal changes in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics, and the burden of paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs). Propensity score matching was used for between-group comparisons.

resultsOver a median follow-up of 3.1 years in the ocrelizumab group and 1.9 years in the teriflunomide group, there were no significant differences in the risk of PIRA (HR for teriflunomide vs. ocrelizumab: 0.80 [95%-CI:0.40-1.60]; p = 0.53). PwRRMS treated with teriflunomide exhibited lower annualized rates of BVL (-0.80 [95%-CI: -0.91; -0.69] vs. -1.06 [95%-CI: -1.25; -0.86]; p = 0.025) and gray matter volume loss (-0.92 [95%-CI: -1.05; -0.79] vs. -1.20 [95%-CI: -1.43; -0.97]; p = 0.035). No differences were observed in DTI metrics or PRL count.

conclusionsThis real-world study suggests that teriflunomide shows similar efficacy to ocrelizumab on smoldering activity, with a potentially greater effect in reducing BVL. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and understand their long-term implications.

Indexed as

Antibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedCrotonatesImmunologic FactorsMultiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-RemittingToluidinesAdultBrainDiffusion Tensor ImagingDisease ProgressionFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansHydroxybutyratesLongitudinal StudiesMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedCrotonatesHydroxybutyratesImmunologic FactorsNitrilesocrelizumabteriflunomideToluidinesDisease-modifying therapiesOcrelizumabPIRAPRLsSmoldering MSTeriflunomide

Identifiers

PMID40603656
PMCPMC12222313

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.