Post: Simple Algorithm Reduces Racial Disparities in MS

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A simple algorithm to aid in the selection of appropriate disease modifying therapies (DMTs) reduces racial disparities in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), early new research showed.

This risk-stratified algorithm led to an increase in the use of highly efficacious treatments (HETs), and a decrease in relapse rates, among Hispanic, Black, and White patients with MS. photo of Annette Langer-Gould “This study basically shows that if you give the good stuff to the people who need it, whether they’re Black, Hispanic, or White, you can get similar levels of disease control or improvement in their disease activity,” study investigator, Annette Langer-Gould, MD, PhD, regional lead for Clinical Translational Neuroscience, Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC), Los Angeles, told Medscape Medical News.

The algorithm offers clear, measurable guidance on prescribing HETs, prioritizing lower-cost DMTs, and supporting individuals with MS who encounter financial or other barriers to DMT use.

This study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2025 Annual Meeting in April. Higher Disability, Lower HET Rates

Research indicated that racial minorities with MS experience higher levels of disability than white patients, yet they are less likely to be prescribed a HET such as rituximab which is used off-label for MS, said Langer-Gould.

Growing evidence suggests the use of HETs in all MS patients reduces the risk for long-term disability. However, HETs such as monoclonal antibodies such as rituximab and natalizumab continue to be underutilized even in relapsing-remitting MS patients with continued disease activity on beta-interferons or glatiramer acetate, said Langer-Gold.

Rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, is approved in the United States in the treatment of certain blood cancers and autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. Multiple studies have demonstrated its efficacy in MS, and it is commonly used off-label in this patient population.

Langer-Gould emphasized the long-standing deficiencies in the current approach to MS treatment. She told Medscape Medical News that when she joined Kaiser in 2009, she observed that patients with MS were being treated randomly, without a structured system for managing care or selecting therapies.In 2012, she and other experts set out to create a new standardized […]

Simple Algorithm Reduces Racial Disparities in MS