The interferon beta therapies for treatment of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis: are they equally efficacious? A comparative review of open-label studies evaluating the efficacy, safety, or dosing of different interferon beta formulations alone or in combination

Interferon beta preparations are the most widely used initial therapies prescribed for patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis. Phase III studies have demonstrated comparable efficacy on clinical measures of disease activity, variable benefits on radiological measures, and good overall tolerability. Subsequent clinical studies have attempted to compare directly the three available interferon beta preparations, reporting both safety and efficacy data. We review the literature on studies evaluating interferon beta therapy for patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis, discuss reasons for discrepant findings, and assess the utility of interferon beta-based combination regimens as the focus of future studies in the increasingly complex multiple sclerosis therapy landscape

Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Diseases

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This chapter outlines the features of multiple sclerosis as one understand them today, and reviews current practice in diagnosis and management. Other demyelinating diseases are also reviewed. Multiple sclerosis is the most common cause of neurological disability in young adults and health care costs result in considerable financial burden to society. The aetiology of multiple sclerosis is complex and cannot be ascribed to a single genetic or environmental factor. The characteristic pathological feature of multiple sclerosis is the focal plaque or lesion. Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) lesions show peri-vascular inflammation with prominent complement and immunoglobulin deposition in keeping with a role for humoral immunity. Acute para-infectious encephalopathies are typically monophasic encephalitides characterised by multifocal inflammatory lesions, principally affecting the white matter of the CNS. There are two consistently distinguishable pathological subdivisions: acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and acute haemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (AHL)