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LONDON — European researchers are putting finishing touches on the first-ever clinical guideline for drug treatment of multiple sclerosis, with a preview presented here in advance of its final release.
The guideline will discuss the considerations involved with each of the dozen available drugs but with little specific advice on how to choose among them, said Susana Otero-Romero, MD, of the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Catalonia in Barcelona, speaking at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis meeting here.
Selecting a drug will depend on patient characteristics, disease severity, drug safety profile, and accessibility – in combination with a conversation with the patient about their preferences, she said.
“The evidence thus far does not allow us to prioritize drugs,” Otero-Romero told MedPage Today. “We’re lacking head-to-head comparisons.”
The guideline will also endorse ocrelizumab (tentative brand name Ocrevus) for primary progressive MS if the drug is approved before publication, Otero-Romero said.
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