Early Treatment With Glatiramer Acetate Improved Outcomes in CIS (Clinically Isolated Syndrome)

Patients with clinically isolated syndrome who receive early treatment with glatiramer acetate have more than a 40% reduction in the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, compared with those whose treatment is delayed, according to findings from a prospectively planned 5-year follow-up of patient in the phase III PreCISe study.

After a 2-year extension phase of the 3-year double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 33% of 80 patients who had received early treatment with glatiramer acetate (GA) developed clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS), compared with 50% of 118 patients who began treatment at the end of the initial 3-year double-blind phase. Each patient received 20 mg of GA daily by subcutaneous injection.