How Much MS Disease Activity Is Acceptable?

LONDON—No evidence of disease activity (NEDA) is a worthy but potentially problematic goal in the care of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an overview provided at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS. The definition of NEDA is evolving as neurologists adopt new metrics in clinical practice, and NEDA is a difficult outcome to sustain in the long term.

Studies of interferon beta suggest that a minimal amount of clinical or MRI activity is not necessarily associated with poor long-term outcomes. Such research raises the possibility that minimal evidence of disease activity (MEDA) could be an appropriate goal of treatment, said Mar Tintoré, MD, PhD, neurologist at the MS Centre of Catalonia in Barcelona.