Patients who received alemtuzumab had lower relapse rates, reduced disability, and decreased brain-volume loss, compared with patients who received interferon beta-1a.
2012;20(6):6-7.
NEW ORLEANS—Compared with interferon beta-1a, alemtuzumab reduced the annualized relapse rate by 49% among patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) who had relapsed on previous therapy, according to research presented at the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Approximately 65% of patients taking alemtuzumab were relapse-free, compared with 47% of patients taking interferon beta-1a, per results from the phase III Comparison of Alemtuzumab and Rebif Efficacy in Multiple Sclerosis II (CARE-MS II) study.
In addition, patients with relapsing–remitting MS taking alemtuzumab had a 12.7% risk of sustained accumulation of disability, while patients taking interferon had a 21% risk, said Jeffrey A. Cohen, MD, Director of Experimental Therapeutics at the Cleveland Clinic Mellen MS Center. This reduction represents a hazard ratio of 0.58, or 42% treatment effect, he noted.
During a two-year period, the average Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score decreased by 0.17 steps among patients taking alemtuzumab, compared with an increase of 0.24 steps among patients taking interferon. The net difference of 0.41 EDSS steps between the two groups after two years was statistically significant, said Dr. Cohen, as were the differences between each group’s scores at baseline and at 12 months.
NEW ORLEANS—Compared with interferon beta-1a, alemtuzumab reduced the annualized relapse rate by 49% among patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) who had relapsed on previous therapy, according to research presented at the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Approximately 65% of patients taking alemtuzumab were relapse-free, compared with 47% of patients taking interferon beta-1a, per results from the phase III Comparison of Alemtuzumab and Rebif Efficacy in Multiple Sclerosis II (CARE-MS II) study.
In addition, patients with relapsing–remitting MS taking alemtuzumab had a 12.7% risk of sustained accumulation of disability, while patients taking interferon had a 21% risk, said Jeffrey A. Cohen, MD, Director of Experimental Therapeutics at the Cleveland Clinic Mellen MS Center. This reduction represents a hazard ratio of 0.58, or 42% treatment effect, he noted.
During a two-year period, the average Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score decreased by 0.17 steps among patients taking alemtuzumab, compared with an increase of 0.24 steps among patients taking interferon. The net difference of 0.41 EDSS steps between the two groups after two years was statistically significant, said Dr. Cohen, as were the differences between each group’s scores at baseline and at 12 months.
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