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Non-inferiority Study of Ocrelizumab and Rituximab in Active Multiple Sclerosis

Danish Non-inferiority Study of Ocrelizumab and Rituximab in MS (DanNORMS): A Randomized Study Comparing the Efficacy of Ocrelizumab and Rituximab in Active Multiple Sclerosis

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04688788
Acronym
DanNORMS
Enrollment
600
Registered
2020-12-30
Start date
2021-04-28
Completion date
2029-06-10
Last updated
2026-08-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Keywords

Magnetic resonance imaging, Rituximab, Ocrelizumab

Brief summary

The DanNORMS study is a phase 3, non-inferiority clinical trial examining whether treatment of active multiple sclerosis with rituximab is non-inferior to ocrelizumab regarding efficacy and safety.

Detailed description

The DanNORMS study will include patients with active multiple sclerosis aged 18-65 years. Patients will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to either rituximab or ocrelizumab. The study duration is 24 months for the core-phase, and patients can continue in a long-term follow-up phase for additional 36 months with possibility for extended interval dosing guided by CD19+ B cell count. The primary endpoint is the percentage of patients without new or enlarging T2 white matter lesions on brain MRI scans from month 6 to month 24, which will be assessed by radiologists blinded to the treatments status. The study will evaluate a number of efficacy and safety endpoints using clinical, MRI, routine blood samples and research biomarkers.

Interventions

DRUGRituximab

Rituximab is a chimeric mouse/human monoclonal immunoglobulin gamma-1 (IgG1) antibody which depletes cluster of differentiation antigen 20 (CD20)-positive cells. Rituximab is approved for non-hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatosis with polyangitis and microscopic polyangitis, and pemphigus vulgaris.

DRUGOcrelizumab

Ocrelizumab is a recombinant humanised monoclonal IgG1 antibody which depletes CD20-positive cells. Ocrelizumab is approved for multiple sclerosis.

DRUGFexofenadine

Premedication with oral fexofenadine 360 mg is given before every infusion to reduce frequency and intensity of infusion related reactions.

DRUGParacetamol

Premedication with oral. paracetamol 1000 mg is given before every infusion to reduce frequency and intensity of infusion related reactions.

DRUGMethylprednisolone

Premedication with oral methylprednisolone 100 mg is given before every infusion to reduce frequency and intensity of infusion related reactions.

Sponsors

Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Lead SponsorOTHER
Odense University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Aarhus University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Aalborg University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Herlev Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Hillerod Hospital, Denmark
CollaboratorOTHER
Kolding Sygehus
CollaboratorOTHER
Gødstrup Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Hvidovre University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Hospital of South West Jutland, Esbjerg, Denmark
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
University of Copenhagen
CollaboratorOTHER
GCP-unit at Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
CollaboratorOTHER
Hospital of Southern Jutland
CollaboratorOTHER
Hospital of Central Denmark Region, Viborg, Denmark
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Danske Regioner
CollaboratorOTHER
Sanquin Research & Blood Bank Divisions
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

MRI scan data will be transfered to the MRI Reader Centre with pseudonymized identity and without any information regarding the treatment allocation of the patient.

Intervention model description

A prospective, 2:1 randomized, open-label, multi-centre, phase 3 non-inferiority clinical trial with blinded primary endpoint.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* MS diagnosis and definition of disease course according to the 2017 McDonald criteria * Expanded disability status scale (EDSS) ≤6.5 * Fulfilling criteria for active MS: * Treatment naïve relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients (never treated, or no DMT the previous 2 years): 1. ▪≥2 relapse previous 12 months OR 2. 1 relapse previous 12 months with severe residual symptoms and EDSS ≥ 3.0 OR 3. 1 relapse previous 12 months AND ≥9 T2 lesions on brain and/or spinal cord MRI AND * 1 contrast-enhancing lesion or ≥1 new or enlarging T2 lesion on brain and/or spinal cord MRI previous 12 month * Previously treated RRMS patients: 1. ≥1 relapse previous 12 months OR 2. ≥1 contrast-enhancing lesion or ≥2 new/enlarging T2 lesions on brain and/or spinal cord MRI previous 12 months * Progressive MS patients: 1. ≥1 relapse previous 12 months OR 2. ≥1 contrast-enhancing lesion previous 12 months or ≥1 new/enlarging T2 lesions on brain and/or spinal cord MRI previous 12 months or ≥2 new or enlarging T2 lesion on brain and/or spinal cord MRI previous 24 months OR 3. Increased levels of neurofilament light chain (NFL) in serum or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in sample collected previous 12 months. Progressive MS patients not fulfilling the clinical/MRI criteria for active disease, may qualify for inclusion in the study if: (A) CSF NFL level (measured with NF-Light® ELISA assay from Uman Diagnostics or Simoa): * 18 to 40 years \>560 ng/l * 41 to 60 years \>890 ng/l * 61 to 65 years \>1850 ng/l or (B) Serum NFL level (measured with Simoa™ NF-light® Advantage Kit) o Increased sNFL based on individual age-determined cut-off: \>4.19 × 1.029\^age ng/L OR o Increased sNFL based age-partitioned cut-offs: * 18 to 20 years \>7.4 ng/L * 21 to 30 years \>9.9 ng/L * 31 to 40 years \>13.1 ng/L * 41 to 50 years \>17.5 ng/L * 51 to 60 years \>23.3 ng/L * 61 to 65 years \>30.9 ng/L * Signed written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

* Pregnancy or breast feeding * Lack of effective contraception for women of child-bearing potential (effective contraception include oral contraception, intrauterine devices and other forms of contraception with failure rate \<1%) * Receipt of a live or live-attenuated vaccine within 6 weeks prior to randomization * Known active malignant disease * Severe heart failure (New York Heart Association Class IV) or severe, uncontrolled cardiac disease * Positive test for HIV, hepatitis B or C, or symptoms or signs of active tuberculosis in a patient with a positive Quantiferon test. * Negative test for varicella zoster * Lymphopenia grade 2 (0.5 to 0.8 × 10\^9/L) or higher grades of lymphopenia. In case of switching from fingolimod, siponimod or ozanimod lymphopenia is accepted at screening visit. Patients switching from dimethylfumarate who have persistent lymphopenia 5 to 6 weeks after stopping dimethylfumarate can be included if lymphopenia is grade 2 or lower, and treating phycisian judge CD20-depleting therapy safe. * Neutropenia grade 2 (1.0 to 1.5 × 10\^9/L) or higher grades * Thrombocytopenia grade 2 (50 to 75 × 10\^9/L) or higher grades * Previous treatment with alemtuzumab or hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation * Previous treatment with cladribine, CD20-depleting antibodies, daclizumab or other immune suppressive treatment which is judged to still exert immune suppressive effect by treating physician * Methylprednisolone treatment within 1 month of baseline visit * Findings on the screening MRI judged to preclude participation by the treating physician * Other diseases judged to be relevant by the treating physician * Contraindication to MRI * Known allergy or hypersensitivity to rituximab or ocrelizumab

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage of patients without new or enlarging T2 white matter lesions on brain MRI scansMonth 6 to month 24MRI outcome

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage of patients with 6-month confirmed disability progression (CDP) in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)Baseline to month 24Clinical outcome
Annualised relapse rate based on cumulative number of confirmed relapses from baseline to months 24Baseline to month 24Clinical outcome
Percentage of patients with 6-months CDP in Timed 25 Foot Walk (T25FW)Baseline to month 24Clinical outcome
Percentage of patients with 6-months CDP in 9-Hole-Peg Test (9HPT)Baseline to month 24Clinical outcome
Percentage of patients with 6-months CDP in Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)Baseline to month 24Clinical outcome
Change in Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29)Baseline to month 24Patient related outcome measure (PROM). A 29 item questionnaire with values ranging from 29 (good) to 145 (worse).
Change in Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Functions (FSMC)Baseline to month 24PROM. A 20 item questionnaire with values ranging from 20 (no fatigue at all) and 100 (severest grade of fatigue.
EuroQol- 5 Dimension (EQ-5D)Baseline to month 24PROM. A 5 item questionnaire with values ranging from 5 (good) to 15 (worse).
Percentage of patients without gadolinium-enhancing lesions (GdEL)Month 6 and month 24 MRI scansMRI outcome
Change in T2 white matter lesion volumeFrom month 6 to month 24MRI outcome
Change in T1 white matter lesion volumeFrom month 6 to month 24MRI outcome
Percentage brain volume change (PBVC) from month 6 to month 24From month 6 to month 24MRI outcome
Change in serum neurofilament light chain levelFrom baseline to month 24Blood biomarker
Blood levels of cluster of differentiation antigen 19 (CD19)+ B cellsAt month 6 and month 24Blood biomarker

Countries

Denmark

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORJeppe Romme Christensen, MD, PhD

Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center Rigshospitalet

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 18, 2026