Expert-Agreed Practical Recommendations on the Use of Cladribine

Abstract

Cladribine; Disease-modifying drugs; Relapsing multiple sclerosis

Cladribina; Medicaments modificadors de malalties; Esclerosi múltiple recurrent

Cladribina; Medicamentos modificadores de enfermedades; Esclerosis múltiple recurrente

Cladribine is a disease-modifying selective immune reconstitution oral therapy for adult patients with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). It was approved in the USA in 2019 and in Europe in 2017, thus there are still gaps in existing guidelines for using cladribine tablets in clinical practice. Nine experts with extensive experience in managing patients with multiple sclerosis in Spain identified some of the unanswered questions related to the real-life use of cladribine tablets. They reviewed the available clinical trial data and real-world evidence, including their own experiences of using cladribine, over the course of three virtual meetings held between November 2020 and January 2021. This article gathers their practical recommendations to aid treatment decision-making and optimise the use of cladribine tablets in patients with RMS. The consensus recommendations cover the following areas: candidate patient profiles, switching strategies (to and from cladribine), managing response to cladribine and safety considerations.

The publication of this article, as well as journal’s Rapid Service Fee, was funded by Merck, S.L.U., Mollet del Valles, Spain, an affiliate of Merck KGaA.