Different Antibody Response to COVID-19 Vaccine With Different Disease-Modifying Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis

A new analysis of data from the MS PATHS network showed immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) varied with disease-modifying type. These data were presented at the 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) virtual meeting, October 13 to 15, 2021.

“These results demonstrate that MS disease-modifying therapies (DMT) impact antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccination in different ways and understanding these differences is crucial,” said Jeffrey Cohen, MD, Cleveland Clinic, and a paid consultant for Biogen. “These insights are important in helping providers and patients alike manage MS while seeking to protect patients from COVID-19 through vaccination.”

Researchers evaluated blood samples from 322 participants 28 to 90 days after their last COVID-19 vaccine dose. The antiCD20 and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor-modulating therapies may reduce the antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination. For all other classes evaluated in the analysis, the antibody response to vaccination is consistent with the response of individuals not being treated with an MS DMT.