Patient and healthcare provider experience of diroximel fumarate: considerations for selecting disease-modifying therapy.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate treatment perceptions of diroximel fumarate (DRF) for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), with contextual data from dimethyl fumarate (DMF) users, based on patient and healthcare provider (HCP) surveys.

Methods: A prospective web-based survey was conducted among MyMSTeam users aged ≥ 21 years in the United States, who provided information about their MS disease and treatment history. The Spherix HCP survey collected retrospective chart data from HCPs for patients who switched disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).

Results: Of 535 MyMSTeam respondents, 77 (14%) received DMF and 46 (9%) received DRF. DRF users reported physical and emotional benefits such as slowed disease progression, decreased relapses, and new symptom prevention, with 70% noting at least one physical benefit and 46% reporting emotional/quality of life benefits. Additionally, 83% found DRF tolerable. HCPs reported prescribing DRF due to good tolerability (58%) and a preference for oral administration (50%). The most common reasons for switching to DRF were lack of efficacy (52%) or poor tolerability (49%) of previous DMTs.

Conclusion: A real-world, patient-focused survey on MS treatment suggested DRF was well tolerated and associated with patient-reported physical benefits. HCP-reported reasons for selecting DRF included efficacy and tolerability issues with prior DMT.