Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes

THURSDAY, Sept. 26, 2024 -- For patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), the time to confirmed disability progression (CDP) does not differ for those who are anti-CD20-treated and untreated, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in Neurology . Marion Hay, M.D., from Rennes University Hospital in France, and colleagues analyzed CDP in a cohort of patients with PPMS treated with anti-CD20 therapies versus a weighted untreated control cohort in a retrospective study using data from the French MS registry. A total of 1,184 patients met the inclusion criteria: 426 treated and 758 untreated (median age, 56 years; 52.7 percent female). Among treated patients, 295 and 131 received rituximab and ocrelizumab, respectively. The researchers found that anti-CD20-treated patients were younger and had more active disease at baseline. There was no statistical difference observed in time to first CDP. A nonsignificant trend toward fewer patients relapsing in the treated group was observed in time to first relapse analysis. No significant difference was seen between the two groups for magnetic resonance imaging activity. Male sex and MS duration were risk factors associated with CDP in the treated group. Serious infection incidence ratios were 6.67 and 2.67 per 100 person-years in the treated and untreated groups, respectively. "Our results indicate that there should be a constant evaluation of all available data to ascertain the best risk/benefit ratio for patients with PPMS, especially for newly diagnosed patients for whom inflammatory activity is very often not well defined," the authors write. Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Global pioneers of medical imaging Philips have announced a 5-year technology and innovation partnership with Rennes University Hospital (CHU Rennes) in a bid to enhance all aspects of patient care, particularly for acute patients. The partnership will be used to advance co-developed clinical research projects by CHU Rennes and Philips into stroke management, digital pathology and ICU monitoring, as well as supporting the creation of innovation pathways for French medical startups. WHY IT MATTERS CHU Rennes is one of the top hospitals in France. Spread across four sites, it has over 60 medical, surgical and imaging departments supporting care through every stage of life but is particularly known for its robotics and image-guided medical interventions. The partnership with Philips is intended to support the development, co-development and dissemination of medical innovation within CHU Rennes and contribute to the development of sustainable healthcare. Its primary focus will be on the optimisation of stroke management and the development of AI to improve care of acute patients. To support imaging modalities such as MRI and CT scans, Philips will supply CHU Rennes with new technologies across medical, monitoring and management aspects of care. The partnership will also see the implementation of big data analytics and data warehouses to enable intelligent monitoring of complex medical cases in intensive care and to support digital pathology. These innovations will further joint research into the optimised stroke management and robotics for neurological interventions, contributing to CHU Rennes’ established reputation as a research institution. THE LARGER PICTURE Philips and CHU Rennes have collaborated before, most notably in their innovation partnership in digital pathology, which was the first of its kind in France. Philips recently purchased cardiac diagnostics provider BioTelemetry . ON THE RECORD David Corcos, general manager of Philips France said: “Philips and Rennes University Hospital are entering into a ground-breaking partnership aimed at significantly improving the stroke pathway and co-developing AI algorithms to improve care for the most acute patients, particularly those in the ICU. Leveraging the hospital’s clinical expertise and our respective innovation ecosystems, we believe we can jointly innovate to help the hospital’s healthcare professionals improve care and outcomes for their patients, while contributing to a more sustainable healthcare system. We are thrilled by this unique opportunity.” Véronique Anatole-Touzet, CEO at Rennes University Hospital added: “The University Hospital of Rennes is particularly glad to join its forces with Philips in the framework of an original and ambitious partnership, unique in France, offering tremendous opportunities for innovation and co-development of new solutions to shape the future of medicine and patient care. This collaboration is the result of several years of fruitful collaboration. Thanks to its rich and integrated character, this partnership will be an amazing catalyst for innovation and research for the University Hospital of Rennes.”