Abstract
BackgroundThe optimal treatment strategy with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) remains uncertain.ObjectiveTo compare outcomes of initial treatment with infusion therapies and starting therapy with medium efficacy therapy in a propensity-matched cohort of Finnish RRMS patients.MethodsA total of 154 RRMS patients initiating natalizumab, alemtuzumab, ocrelizumab or rituximab as first DMT (high efficacy DMT, heDMT group) and 1771 patients initially treated with injectable therapies, teriflunomide or dimethylfumarate and escalated based on disease activity (moderate efficacy DMT, meDMT group) were identified from the Finnish MS registry. Nearest neighbor propensity matching (1:1, caliper 0.1) was performed for age, sex, baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), annual relapse rate (ARR) one year prior DMT and time since MS symptom onset. Primary outcome was time to 6-month confirmed EDSS progression and the secondary outcome time to first relapse.ResultsIn the propensity-matched group comparisons, the probability of 6-month confirmed disability progression (CDP) at 5 years after DMT start was 28.4% (95% CI 15.7–39.3) in the heDMT group (n = 66) and 47.0% (95% CI 33.1–58.1) in meDMT group (n = 66), p = 0.013. Probability of relapse at 5 years was 34.6% (95% CI 24.1–43.6) for heDMT (n = 105) and 47.2% (95% CI 36.6–56.1) for meDMT (n = 105), p = 0.019.ConclusionsInitiating MS-therapy with heDMT significantly reduced the risk of 5-year disability progression and relapse compared to using meDMT as first DMT choice in propensity-matched groups of Finnish MS-patients.
Highlights
The development of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) has enabled significant advances in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) during the past decades
A conditional regression analysis with raw data indicated that the odds for disability progression at 3 years in the heDMT patients (n = 100) was significantly lower than in the meDMT patients (n = 308, OR 0.51 95% CI 0.31–0.76, p = 0.002) in a univariate model
The mean age at death was 48.4 years and the causes of death were subarachnoid hemorrhage, stroke, breast cancer, lung cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, advanced MS and aspiration pneumonia and one unknown. In this propensity-matched retrospective register study, we compared disability and relapse outcomes in Finnish MS patients receiving high-efficacy infusion therapies as first treatment versus those initially treated with moderate efficacy therapies
Summary
The development of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) has enabled significant advances in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) during the past decades. In a real-world clinical setting, the most common treatment algorithm of newly diagnosed RRMS is starting therapy with a low-risk, moderate efficacy DMT and escalating treatment in the presence of continued disease activity. The optimal treatment strategy with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) remains uncertain. Objective To compare outcomes of initial treatment with infusion therapies and starting therapy with medium efficacy therapy in a propensity-matched cohort of Finnish RRMS patients. Results In the propensity-matched group comparisons, the probability of 6-month confirmed disability progression (CDP) at 5 years after DMT start was 28.4% (95% CI 15.7–39.3) in the heDMT group (n = 66) and 47.0% (95% CI 33.1–58.1) in meDMT group (n = 66), p = 0.013. Conclusions Initiating MS-therapy with heDMT significantly reduced the risk of 5-year disability progression and relapse compared to using meDMT as first DMT choice in propensity-matched groups of Finnish MS-patients
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