Ocrelizumab's Place in the Therapeutic Landscape at its 2019 Launch in France

Background: The treatment landscape for multiple sclerosis (MS) includes a range of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), from moderate- to high-efficacy agents. Understanding prescribing patterns following the launch of new treatments such as ocrelizumab is essential to assess real-world clinical practices.Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from the French National Health Data System between 2019 and 2020. It included 18,912 patients with MS who initiated a DMT during the study period. Patients were categorized according to the initial DMT: moderate-efficacy, or high-efficacy.Results: Among included patients, 54.5% initiated a moderate-efficacy DMT, 29.5% started ocrelizumab, and 16.0% received a high-efficacy DMT. Most ocrelizumab users (81.2%) were previously treated (non-naïve), compared to 57.6% among moderate-efficacy DMT users and 24.8% among high-efficacy DMT users. Psychiatric and neurological comorbidities were common across all groups (22% overall), with depression reported in 15% of patients.Conclusion: The strategy of initial high-efficacy treatment was rarely observed in practice during the first year of launch of ocrelizumab in France. Instead, ocrelizumab was predominantly prescribed to previously treated patients who were switching therapies.