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Therapeutic advances: beta‐interferon for multiple sclerosis
Author(s) -
Clark W.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.622
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1365-2710
pISSN - 0269-4727
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2710.1996.tb01139.x
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , medicine , interferon beta 1a , placebo , clinical trial , interferon beta , interferon beta 1b , randomized controlled trial , disease , intensive care medicine , oncology , immunology , alternative medicine , pathology
SUMMARY Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a very distressing condition for which there is no effective treatment. Two randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trials of beta‐interferon in mildly disabled patients with relapsing remitting MS have been published. Although promising, beta‐interferon is not a cure for MS and the clinical significance of the small effect of beta‐interferon on disease progression is not known. The high cost of betainterferon, the distressing nature of MS and the small benefit demonstrated in clinical trials mean that purchasers and clinicians will face hard decisions in managing the introduction of these drugs.