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Neurologic consequence of delaying glatiramer acetate therapy for multiple sclerosis: 8‐year data
Author(s) -
Johnson K. P.,
Ford C. C.,
Lisak R. P.,
Wolinsky J. S.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2004.00351.x
Subject(s) - glatiramer acetate , multiple sclerosis , randomized controlled trial , placebo , medicine , expanded disability status scale , psychiatry , pathology , alternative medicine
Objective – To assess the long‐term effectiveness of continuous glatiramer acetate (GA) therapy in relapsing‐remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Methods – This open‐label extension followed a randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind study of GA of approximately 30 months duration. Patients originally randomized to GA continued on it (group A) and those randomized to placebo switched to GA (group B). Results – Of 251 original patients, 142 (56.6%) remained in the study after 8 years. Annual relapse rate for both groups declined to approximately 0.2 (approximately one relapse every 5 years). However, a significantly larger proportion of patients in group A had stable or improved Expanded Disability Status Scale scores compared with group B (65.3% vs 50.4%, respectively; P = 0.0263), possibly attributable to the delay of GA treatment for approximately 30 months in group B. GA was well tolerated and no drug‐related laboratory changes were observed. Conclusions – These data support early initiation of GA therapy as an efficacious and well‐tolerated long‐term treatment for RRMS patients.