Cladribine tablets is a disease-modifying treatment (DMT) for highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) that acts in a manner consistent with being an immune reconstitution therapy (IRT).

This treatment is effective and well tolerated in patients with active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), with a low burden of monitoring during and following treatment.

We, an expert group of specialist neurologists involved in the care of patients with MS in the United Arab Emirates, provide our consensus recommendations for the practical use of cladribine tablets according to the presenting phenotype of patients with RRMS.

The IRT approach may be especially useful for patients with highly active MS uncontrolled by a first-line DMT, where the likelihood of adherence to continuous treatment is uncertain, for naïve high disease active patients at first presentation or for patients planning a family who are prepared to wait until at least 6 months after the end of treatment.

Current data support the safety of cladribine tablets in patients who contract COVID-19, and receipt of this treatment per se should not represent a barrier to vaccination against COVID-19.