Trial shows ocrelizumab slows disability progression in more people with primary progressive MS
The ORATORIO-HAND trial shows that ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) can slow overall disability progression and the worsening of hand and arm function in more people with primary progressive MS.
Last week, researchers from around the world gathered in Barcelona for ECTRIMS – the world’s largest MS research conference.
On Friday morning Professor Gavin Giovannoni shared the results of the ORATORIO-HAND trial. They found that ocrelizumab slowed the progression of disability and the worsening of hand and arm function in people with primary progressive MS. Including older people and those with more advanced MS.
What is ORATORIO-HAND?
ORATORIO-HAND is a phase 3 trial that tested ocrelizumab in people with primary progressive MS. Ocrelizumab is already licensed for people with active relapsing remitting MS and early primary progressive MS. ORATORIO-HAND aimed to see if it could also slow the progression of disability – including hand and arm function - in people with more advanced primary progressive MS.
The trial team recruited over 1,000 participants with primary progressive MS. The trial included people aged 18 to 65, some of whom used a wheelchair. This means that many people who were previously excluded from trials because of their age or level of disability were able to take part in ORATORIO-HAND.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive an infusion of either ocrelizumab or a placebo (a dummy drug). The researchers used measures like as the EDSS and the 9-Hole Peg Test to see whether participants’ disability progressed.
What did the researchers find?
The researchers found that ocrelizumab delayed overall disability progression and slowed the worsening of hand and arm function in people with primary progressive MS. They also found it was effective in people with more advanced MS.
Why is this exciting?
Hand and arm function is important for independence and quality of life. But many previous trials have focused on walking to measure if a treatment is effective. That means we don’t know if those treatments are also effective for people with more advanced MS.
The ORATORIO-HAND trial shows that ocrelizumab could help slow disability progression and the worsening of hand and arm function for people with more advanced primary progressive MS. This could mean they might have access to treatment for the first time, potentially helping them stay independent for longer.
The results of the ORATORIO-HAND trial are incredibly positive to see. MS can be debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable, and hand and arm function is essential for helping people to remain independent. Many previous trials have focused solely on walking ability as a measure of whether a drug is effective. But trials like this are vital in helping us find treatments for everyone.
What’s next?
These results could mean that ocrelizumab is made available for even more people with primary progressive MS who don’t currently have access to any treatment options to stop their MS getting worse. The next step will be for the treatment to go through approval before it could become available to this group.
We're also funding other research to find new treatments to maintain arm and hand function in advanced progressive MS, including ChariotMS. ChariotMS has recently completed recruitment, and we look forward to their first results in 2027.
Edit May 2026
The researchers have now published these results in a scientific journal.
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