Early, Steady MS Treatment Cuts Progression Risk 

Patients who received early and consistent disease modifying treatment at the first signs of multiple sclerosis – often called clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) – appeared to have a slower progression to disability than patients who were treated mainly for additional MS exacerbations, researchers reported here.

Over a 12-month period, patients treated 50% to 80% of the time following the first CIS event reduced their risk of progression -- as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale score -- by 45% compared with patients who received disease-modifying treatments less than 50% of the time or not at all (95% CI 0.39-0.79, P=0.001), and patients treated for more than 80% of the time following diagnosis reduced their risk of disability progression by 68% (95% CI 0.22-0.49, P<0.001), said Vilija Jokubaitis. PhD, medical research scientist, University of Melbourne.


In the study, Jokubaitis and colleagues reviewed data involving 1,989 patients for whom complete records were available. The patients had a combined 6,724 years of follow-up with a median follow-up of 3 years per patient – ranging from 9 months to 9.9 years.

Of those patients, 1,339 were treated with disease-modifying agents, either interferon-based products or glatiramer acetate (Copaxone). The researchers included 307 patients who had sustained disability progression over 12 months.

"Cumulative disease-modifying treatment duration significantly delays progression of multiple sclerosis," Jokubaitis said.  READ MORE