One-sentence summary:
Octave Bioscience’s real-world study demonstrates that its clinically validated MSDA Test significantly enhances clinical decision-making in managing multiple sclerosis by providing reliable, multi-protein biomarker data on disease activity.
Three brief takeaways:
- High clinical impact: The MSDA Test influenced MS treatment decisions in nearly 60% of cases, rising to over 69% with repeated use.
- Actionable insights: Results from the test led to changes in care plans—such as therapy initiation, switching, or discontinuation—in almost 1 in 5 cases.
- Broad utility: The study’s diverse clinical settings confirm the test’s wide applicability and value in real-world MS management.
Octave Bioscience, Inc., a precision care company that delivers a new standard for managing multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases, has announced the publication of a real-world clinical utility study in Multiple Sclerosis Journal – Experimental, Translational and Clinical titled “Real-world clinical utility of a multi-protein, blood-based biomarker assay for disease activity assessments in multiple sclerosis.” The study evaluated the impact of the Octave MS Disease Activity (MSDA) Test across a diverse range of MS clinical settings to determine how the MSDA Test results informed clinical decision-making. The findings demonstrate the MSDA Test has significant and meaningful impacts on clinical decision-making in the real-world management of MS.
Octave MSDA Test Is Clinically Validated
The Octave MSDA Test, a clinically validated, multi-protein biomarker assay, measures 18 proteins to assess disease activity, enabling neurologists to make more informed decisions regarding disease-modifying therapy (DMT) initiation, switching, and discontinuation. The study examined 352 patient charts that were longitudinally evaluated by 20 clinicians across 14 sites—including academic medical centers, regional hospitals, and community neurology practices—using 723 results from the MSDA Test.
“Our goal is to empower both providers and patients with precision tools that transform MS care. We are encouraged to see how clinicians’ management plans change after reviewing the MSDA Test results, including how clinicians alter existing therapies, initiate new therapies or implement other interventions. The study clearly demonstrates that the MSDA Test is a precision tool that provides physicians with clinically actionable data, enabling more targeted treatment decisions and helping support disease stability in real time,” says Doug Biehn, CEO of Octave.
Reliable, Objective Data
Overall, the study’s findings demonstrate the multi-protein MSDA test provides clinicians with reliable, objective data insights into a patient’s disease activity that positively influence and support treatment decisions. Specific key findings include:
● Strong influence on decision-making: The result of a single MSDA Test influenced the MS management decision in 59.8% of cases and that influence increased with follow-up use: 69.2% of multiple, longitudinal MSDA Test results influenced clinicians’ care decisions.
● Actionable Insights: Nearly 1 in 5 (19.4%) results of the MSDA Test led clinicians to adjust MS management. The findings also suggest that the MSDA Test reinforced the clinician’s decision, even when no change in care or treatment was made.
● Generalizability: The study included a diverse mix of academic, regional, and community-based MS clinics that utilized the MSDA Test across a wide variety of clinical use cases, underscoring the broad clinical utility of the MSDA Test in real-world practice.
● Management Patterns: The study found three main patterns in how the test results impacted clinician MS management: 1) a low MSDA Test score supported a clinician’s plan to continue the patient’s current treatment plan; 2) a low MSDA Test score also influenced clinician’s decision to change the treatment plan by discontinuing the patient’s DMT; and 3) a high MSDA Test score led the clinician to change the patient’s treatment plan by initiating or switching their DMT.
“One of the biggest challenges in MS management is determining when to adjust treatment. This study demonstrates that integrating multi-analyte biomarker data from the Octave MSDA Test into clinical workflows enhances decision-making, particularly with repeated use, as confidence in the MSDA Test grows over time,” says Taylor Gonyou, DO, lead investigator of the study and neurologist at the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders (MIND).
The findings reinforce the role of multi-protein biomarkers in MS care, offering clinicians reliable, objective data to support treatment decisions. Jennifer Graves, MD, PhD, senior medical advisor at Octave and professor of Neurosciences at UC San Diego, emphasized the critical gap being addressed by the test, noting: “Clinicians need more than traditional imaging and symptom tracking to assess disease activity effectively. Protein biomarkers have the potential to fill this gap. In the application of these tools, establishing a baseline is a necessity, allowing for better interpretation of disease activity over time. The MSDA Test has the potential to optimize treatment strategies, ultimately improving patient outcomes.”
The Octave MSDA Test is being used by leading MS Centers of Excellence, academic institutions, and independent neurology practices across the United States, providing clinicians with critical biomarker-driven insights to support treatment decisions.
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