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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Novartis's oral drug remibrutinib beat teriflunomide (Aubagio) in reducing relapses and slowing disability progression in two late-stage multiple sclerosis trials. The BTK inhibitor also showed a clean liver safety profile — a key differentiator in its drug class. Novartis plans to seek global regulatory approvals and present full data at a Toronto medical conference.
Novartis's oral MS drug remibrutinib has cleared a major hurdle, outperforming Sanofi's teriflunomide (Aubagio) in two late-stage trials — REMODEL-1 and REMODEL-2 — in adult patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. The drug not only reduced relapse rates more effectively but also delivered clinically meaningful results in slowing disability progression, a critical benchmark for MS therapies.
What sets remibrutinib apart in the crowded BTK inhibitor class is its safety profile. Earlier drugs in the class — including Sanofi's tolebrutinib and Roche's fenebrutinib — have faced regulatory setbacks due to liver toxicity concerns. Remibrutinib showed no liver safety issues in the trials, prompting one UBS analyst to call choosing it over rivals "a no-brainer." Novartis plans to file for global regulatory approvals and present full data at an upcoming Toronto medical conference.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: With competitors stumbling on safety and efficacy, remibrutinib's strong trial results and clean safety record could make it the go-to oral MS therapy — and a cornerstone of Novartis's long-term growth strategy.
