interferon-beta

Study Uncovers How Interferon-beta May Be Helping to Treat MS

Researchers have discovered how interferon-beta, a common treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), may be effective for people with the disease. Specifically, they found that red blood cells from MS patients have an unusually high ability to bind molecules that contribute to disease-related impairments in neuronal health and myelin repair,…

Worsening of Disability Evident in Older Patients Who Stop DMTs

While older multiple sclerosis (MS) patients whose conditions are stable commonly stop using disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), a study indicates this decision can shortly lead toĀ a marked disease worsening in a substantial portion of them. “Our results raise important questions about the accepted practice of discontinuing medications once MS…

Early-life Trauma Affects MS Development, Treatment in Mice

Childhood trauma can affect disease progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) and treatment in adulthood, a study in mice suggests. The study shows that mice that experienced early-life trauma were more likely to develop an autoimmune condition and less likely to respond to common treatment with interferon beta. The study,…

Headache a Common Side Effect of Interferon-beta Treatment, Study Finds

New or worsening headaches are a more common side effect of interferon-beta (IFN-beta) treatment in people with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) than previously appreciated, a new study suggests. The study, “Interferon-Beta-Induced Headache in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Frequency and Characterization,” was published in theĀ Journal of Pain Research.

New Study Supports Hitting MS Fast and Hard

The question of how quickly to start a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) after a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis is one that I frequently see when I browse online. It goes hand in hand with questions about which DMT is best to start with. There are many things to consider when…

Patients with Stable Disease Who Switch to Another Interferon Therapy at Greater Risk of Flares, Study Reports

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who have been relapse-free while using an interferon-beta (IFN-Ī²) therapy but switch to anotherĀ IFN-Ī² are significantly more like to start experiencingĀ flaresĀ than patients who remain on their initial interferon treatment, a real-world study reports. Its results support letting patients remain on a current IFN-Ī² medication…

African-Americans Show Better Adherence and Satisfaction with Gilenya Than Injectable DMTs, Phase 4 Study Finds

African-Americans with relapsingā€“remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) show higher adherence and greater satisfaction when treated with oralĀ Gilenya (fingolimod, by Novartis) than with injectable therapies, according to a new study. The research, ā€œTreatment retention on fingolimod compared with injectable multiple sclerosis therapies in African-American patients: A…

Cladribine Added to Interferon-beta Seen to Lower Relapses in Active MS, But Safety Questioned

Cladribine tablets added to interferon-beta treatment significantly reduced the probability of relapses over 96 weeks in people with active relapsing multiple sclerosis , a Phase 2 clinical trial found. But a troubling diminishment in key immune cells was also seen in treated patients. Relapsing-remitting MS is marked by periods of flares caused by inflammatory attacks, followed by periods of partial or complete recovery . A majority --about 65 percent -- go on to developĀ secondary progressive MS. Despite the growing number of treatment options ā€” including disease-modifying therapies ā€” for these MS patients, efforts continue into better ways to lower relapse frequency and slow disease progression. Researchers tested the safety and efficacy of cladribine tablets as an add-on therapy in patients continuing to experience active relapses while under interferon-betaĀ treatment. Cladribine is an oral medication that works by selectively targeting and reducing the number of immune cells involved in the inflammatory attacks occurring in active MS. It wasĀ developed byĀ EMD Serono (Merck KGaA outside the U.S. and Canada) and approved in the European Union using theĀ brand name MavencladĀ (it is not approved in the U.S. for MS). Interferon-beta works by balancing pro- and anti-inflammatory signals, reducing the number of immune cells and promoting the survival of nerve cells. Interferon-beta therapies are marketed under several brand names; in the study, researchers analyzed patients usingĀ Rebif (marketed by EMD Serono), Avonex (byĀ Biogen), and Betaseron/Betaferon (byĀ Bayer). The 96-week, randomized, double-blind, Phase 2b trial called ONWARD enrolled a total of 172 patients with active relapsing MS, who were randomly divided into two groups: those given cladribine tablets together with interferon-beta, and those that received a placebo and interferon-beta. Results showed those taking cladribine tablets together with interferon-beta had 63% lower likelihood of a relapse compared to those given an add-on placebo. Add-on cladribine treatment also reduced most measures of disease activity as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ā€” namely, the number of new brain and spinal cord lesions. However, almost half of patients in this treatment group developed lymphopenia, a conditionĀ where the levels of lymphocytes (important immune white blood cells) in the blood are abnormally low. None in the control group developed the condition. Other reported side effects, including other serious adverse side effects, were identical in the two groups. Altogether, the findings indicate that a cladribine and interferon-beta combination can successfully lower the probability of relapses over the course of 96 weeks, but also increase a person's chances of lymphopenia.

Single Gene Variant May Identify MS Patients at Risk of Liver Damage Linked to Interferon-Beta Use, Study Says

A genetic variant close to a gene called interferon regulatory factor 6Ā (IRF6) may help to predict those multiple sclerosis (MS) patients most at risk of liver injury while using interferon-beta therapies, a study reports. The study, ā€œCommon variation nearĀ IRF6Ā is associated with IFN-Ī²-induced liver injury in multiple sclerosisā€ was published…

Smoking Increases Relapses in RRMS Patients Receiving Interferon-beta, Study Suggests

Cigarette smoking increases the relapse rate in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who are being treated with interferon-beta, a study suggests. The findings suggest that RRMS patients who smoke may have fewer relapses if they quit. An article on the results, ā€œSmoking affects the interferon beta treatment response in multiple sclerosis,ā€ appeared in the journal Neurology. A number of studies have looked at the link betweenĀ environmental and lifestyle factors and the risk of developing MS. These factors include how much sunlight and vitamin D patients get and whether they have anĀ Epstein-Barr virus infection. Cigarette smoking is a well-documented risk factor in MS, but most of the studies on it have focused on the link between smoking and MS, or the link between smoking and the Ā disease's progression. ā€œStudies that addressed the relationship between smoking and disease activity in RRMS are rarer,ā€ the researchers wrote. The team decided to investigate whether smoking during interferon-beta treatment would affect relapse rates. Previous research had set the stage for the study by showing a link between smoking and gene mutations that make people more susceptible to developing MS. The mutations were in theĀ HLA and NAT1 genes. The team looked at DNA from 834 RRMS patients in the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Biobank who were treated with interferon-beta. Well-known brand names of the treatment include Rebif, Avonex, and Plegridy. There are also other brand names and biosimilar drugs. Researchers also looked at patientsā€™ medical records two years before they started on interferon-beta. Before making any conclusions on possible links between smoking and patients' relapse rate, the team adjusted for patientsā€™ sex, age at the start of treatment, and number of relapses in the two years before treatment began. Their key conclusion was that smoking increased by more than a quarterĀ the number of relapses in patients on interferon-beta therapy. ā€œEach pack of cigarettes more per day during IFN-Ī² [interferon-beta] treatment increased the number of relapses by 27%,ā€ the team wrote. The researchers found no association among smoking, relapses, and mutations of the HLA or NAT1 genes. ā€œOur results confirm that lifestyle factors are important in MS, suggesting that smoking cessation may be associated with a reduction in disease activity,ā€ they wrote. ā€œAlthough not formally proving that smoking cessation will decrease disease activity in RRMS, the results should encourage physicians to inform patients with MS about the harmful effect of smoking and increase focus on smoking cessation,ā€ they observed.

Allergy Medicine Fails to Reduce Flu-Like Syndrome in Relapsing-remitting MS Patients, Study Shows

According to a new clinical trial, the allergy treatment cetirizine fails to alleviate a flu-like condition that interferon-beta treatment generates in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The results, which surprised researchers, apply to flu-like syndrome, or FLS. Cetirizine is an over-the-counter medicine sold under the brand names Zirtec, Zyrtec, Reactine, and Triz. FLS affects roughly 75 percent of patients who take interferon-beta, also known as IFN-beta. It can cause fever, chills, muscle pain, weakness, and headache. The symptoms commonly occur three to six hours after an IFN-beta injection and last up to 24 hours. Although FLS usually subsides in the first three months of IFN-beta therapy, it persists in some patients, causing them to miss doses or even discontinue the treatment. Cetirizine is an antihistamine for hay fever and allergies. The purpose of the clinical trial was to determine whether cetirizine could alleviate RRMS patients' FLS. In order to determine study results, patients did self-assessments of how much discomfort their FLS caused them. There were no significant changes in the two groups' average self-assessment scores at four and eights weeks of treatment, suggesting that cetirizine does not offer significant benefits to RRMS patients with FLS. ā€œThe addition of a [cetirizine] to the standard of care for IFNĪ²-induced FLS in patients with RRMS does not seem to improve symptoms significantly compared with placebo," the team wrote. "FLS continues to be inadequately treated in many RRMS patients. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of IFNĪ²-induced FLS and develop adequate strategies for prevention and treatment."

Research About Why Interferon Can Fail is Welcome

I have made no secret of my distrust of the side effects from many of the disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that are used mainly in the fight against relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS).Ā The fact that the most serious, albeit rare, side effects listed by the manufacturers of some drugs, include “death”…

MS Treatments May Lower Levels of Immune White Blood Cells

Multiple sclerosis patients are at risk ofĀ developing lymphopenia, or abnormally low levels of immune defense white blood cells, called lymphocytes, according to a study that investigatedĀ lymphocyte counts in people with relapsing MS both before and after the start of treatment. The study, ā€œLymphopenia in treatment-naive relapsing multiple…

#CONy16: Scientists Debate MRI’s Role in MS Treatment Changes; Exclusive Interview with Prof. Xavier Montalban

The precision of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurement has improved over the years, and now scans can identify brain damage before symptoms begin showing. Whether the presence of new or expanding lesions predict disease progression is, however, still controversial, and clinicians have no guidance when making treatment decisions about the…