Ozanimod for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease that causes chronic neurological disability in young adults. Modulation of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptors, a group of receptors that, among other things, regulate egression of lymphocytes from lymph nodes, has proven to be effective in treating relapsing MS. Fingolimod, the first oral S1P receptor modulator, has demonstrated potent efficacy and tolerability, but can cause undesirable side effects due to its interaction with a wide range of S1P receptor subtypes. This review will focus on ozanimod, a more selective S1P receptor modulator, which has recently received approval for relapsing MS. We summarize ozanimod’s mechanism of action, and efficacy and safety from clinical trials that demonstrate its utility as another treatment option for relapsing MS.