Enhanced Benefit of Increasing Interferon Beta-1a Dose and Frequency in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis
Open Access
- 1 May 2005
- journal article
- clinical trial
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of Neurology
- Vol. 62 (5) , 785-792
- https://doi.org/10.1001/archneur.62.5.785
Abstract
Pharmacological data1-3 and many clinical trials demonstrate a dose effect of interferon in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting that a higher dose given more than once weekly4-8 leads to superior efficacy outcomes. By contrast, doubling the dose administered once weekly seems not to have such added benefit.9 The EVIDENCE (Evidence of Interferon Dose-Response: European North American Comparative Efficacy) Study, a direct comparison of the relative efficacy of 2 different dosing regimens of interferon beta-1a, found significant benefit on relapse and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures for high-dose/high-frequency compared with low-dose weekly interferon therapy after 48 weeks,10 benefits that were sustained up to 64 weeks.11 Data are limited, however, regarding the effects of changing from low-dose weekly to high-dose/high-frequency interferon treatment. Following completion of the comparative phase of the EVIDENCE Study, patients receiving low-dose weekly therapy were given the opportunity to convert to 44 μg 3 times weekly (TIW), permitting prospective assessment of this issue.Keywords
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