The evolution of interferon therapy in multiple sclerosis

Abstract

The article reviews the evolution of interferon-β (IFN-β) in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) from the first high-dose interferons to the most recent pegylated forms. The results of pivotal trials are presented and discussed. The main problems of the first IFN-β were: 1) moderate efficacy in the presence of neutralizing antibodies (NAB, in 20% of treated patients), leading to a decrease in efficacy, 2) poor tolerability due to frequent injections (every other day), 3) severe local reactions and flu-like syndrome. Pegillation made it possible to extend the duration of administration to one injection every 14 days and to reduce the probability of NAB to less than 1% of all treated patients. The first drug administered subcutaneously had a pronounced flu-like syndrome; the domestic drug SamPEG-IFN-β1a administered intramuscularly was better tolerated with similar efficacy.