Authors: Tamara Castillo-Trivino, Ellen M. Mowry, Alberto Gajofatto, Dorothee Chabas, Elizabeth Crabtree-Hartman, Bruce A. Cree, Douglas S. Goodin, Ari J. Green, Darin T. Okuda, Daniel Pelletier, Scott S. Zamvil, Eric Vittinghoff, Emmanuelle Waubant
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016664
Abstract Summary
Patients with multiple sclerosis experiencing breakthrough disease on first-line therapy showed significant improvement after switching treatments. Those who switched to natalizumab reduced relapses by 70%, while immunosuppressant switchers saw a 77% reduction. Patients who didn’t switch showed no improvement, confirming that escalating therapy effectively controls disease activity in this challenging population.
Why Brain? ðŸ§
Switching MS patients with breakthrough disease to natalizumab or immunosuppressants reduces relapse rates by 68-76% compared to non-switchers, supporting escalation to second-line therapies.
The image is AI-generated for illustrative purposes only. Courtesy of Midjourney.