Starting Mayzent Early of Greater Benefit in SPMS, 5-Year Trial Data Show

People with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) who began treatment with Mayzent early and continued its use for years are less likely to experience disability progression than those starting the medication later in their disease course, five-year data from the EXPAND study suggest.

Data from this same Phase 3 clinical trial further suggest that Mayzent can help preserve important tissues in the brain, delaying physical disability and slowing cognitive decline.

The findings were published in a supplementary issue of the journal Neurology following the cancellation of the 2020 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayzent (siponimod), developed by Novartis, is approved to treat active SPMS in both the United States and Europe. The oral therapy belongs to a class of medications called S1P receptor modulators. These work by ‘trapping’ immune cells in lymph nodes (immunological structures), which can limit the inflammation that causes nervous system damage in MS.

The Phase 3 EXPAND clinical trial (NCT01665144) is evaluating the safety and efficacy of Mayzent in people with SPMS. In the first part of this Novartis-sponsored study, participants were given either Mayzent or a placebo tablet for about three years. Results from this core part of the study, released in 2017, showed that Mayzent significantly slowed disability progression and cognitive decline compared to the placebo.

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