COVID-19 in teriflunomide-treated patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors
Amir Hadi Maghzi, Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Mailbox 9002L, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Maria K. Houtchens, Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Mailbox 9002L, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Paolo Preziosa, Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
Carolina Ionete, Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA, USA.
Biljana D. Beretich, Department of Neurology, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA.
James M. Stankiewicz, Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Mailbox 9002L, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Shahamat Tauhid, Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Mailbox 9002L, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Ann Cabot, Department of Neurology, Concord Hospital, Concord, NH, USA.
Idanis Berriosmorales, Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA, USA.
Tamara H. Schwartz, Department of Neurology, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA.
Jacob A. Sloane, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Mark S. Freedman, University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Massimo Filippi, Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
Howard L. Weiner, Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Mailbox 9002L, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Rohit Bakshi, Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Mailbox 9002L, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. rbakshi@post.harvard.edu.
Institution/Department
Neurology and Neuroscience
Journal Title
Journal of neurology
MeSH Headings
Adult; Aged; Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Coronavirus Infections (complications); Crotonates (therapeutic use); Female; Humans; Hydroxybutyrates; Immunosuppressive Agents (therapeutic use); Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis (complications, drug therapy); Nitriles; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral (complications); SARS-CoV-2; Toluidines (therapeutic use)
Abstract
The outbreak of a severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19), has raised health concerns for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are commonly on long-term immunotherapies. Managing MS during the pandemic remains challenging with little published experience and no evidence-based guidelines. We present five teriflunomide-treated patients with MS who subsequently developed active COVID-19 infection. The patients continued teriflunomide therapy and had self-limiting infection, without relapse of their MS. These observations have implications for the management of MS in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recommended Citation
Maghzi AH, Houtchens MK, Preziosa P, et al. COVID-19 in teriflunomide-treated patients with multiple sclerosis. J Neurol. 2020;267(10):2790-2796. doi:10.1007/s00415-020-09944-8