BACKGROUND: Natalizumab has been recommended for the treatment of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis with insufficient response to interferon-beta (IFN-beta) or glatiramer acetate (GA). METHOD: Prospective, observational study. RESULTS: We found a reduction of the annualized relapse rate from 2.1 under IFN-beta or GA to 0.2 one year after switching to natalizumab. There were 94% fewer gadolinium enhancing lesions with natalizumab. CONCLUSION: Natalizumab reduced short term clinical and MRI activity in second line therapy and efficacy is comparable to first line therapy as demonstrated in the pivotal trials.
BACKGROUND:Natalizumab has been recommended for the treatment of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis with insufficient response to interferon-beta (IFN-beta) or glatiramer acetate (GA). METHOD: Prospective, observational study. RESULTS: We found a reduction of the annualized relapse rate from 2.1 under IFN-beta or GA to 0.2 one year after switching to natalizumab. There were 94% fewer gadolinium enhancing lesions with natalizumab. CONCLUSION:Natalizumab reduced short term clinical and MRI activity in second line therapy and efficacy is comparable to first line therapy as demonstrated in the pivotal trials.
Authors: Alice Laroni; Ilaria Gandoglia; Claudio Solaro; Giuseppe Ribizzi; Tiziana Tassinari; Matteo Pizzorno; Sergio Parodi; Giovanna Baldassarre; Maria Teresa Rilla; Simonetta Venturi; Elisabetta Capello; Maria Pia Sormani; Antonio Uccelli; Giovanni Luigi Mancardi Journal: BMC Neurol Date: 2014-05-12 Impact factor: 2.474