Natalizumab use in pediatric multiple sclerosis.

Arch Neurol

Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Georg August University, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany.

Published: December 2008

Background: Natalizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody raised against alpha4 integrins, is approved for treatment of active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in adult patients.

Objective: To determine the safety, effectiveness, and tolerability of natalizumab use in pediatric patients with MS.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Center for MS in childhood and adolescents, Göttingen, Germany.

Patients: Three pediatric patients with RRMS having a poor response to other immunomodulatory therapies or having intolerable adverse effects.

Interventions: Natalizumab given every 4 weeks at a dosage of 3 to 5 mg/kg of body weight.

Main Outcome Measures: Cranial magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before treatment and every 6 months thereafter.

Results: During 24, 16, and 15 months of treatment, no further relapses occurred in the 3 pediatric patients; all reported significant improvement in their quality of life. Follow-up MR imaging showed no new T2-weighted lesions or gadolinium-enhancing lesions. No adverse events were seen when dosage was adjusted to body weight.

Conclusions: Natalizumab treatment was effective and well tolerated in our pediatric patients with RRMS who did not respond to initial immunomodulatory treatments. Therefore, it is a promising second-line therapy for pediatric patients with RRMS.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archneur.65.12.1655DOI Listing

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