Demographic and efficacy data of relapsing-remitting MS patients, treated with interferon beta for at least 12 months
| Parameters | All products | Avonex | Betaferon | Rebif |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *p value not significant; †p≤0.001; ‡p=0.02. | ||||
| Number of patients | n=101 | n=24 | n=37 | n=37 |
| Demographics | ||||
| age at onset of disease (y) | 27.6 (7.0) | 27.4 (6.9)* | 26.6 (6.3)* | 29.2 (8.0)* |
| duration of disease (y) | 9.5 (6.3) | 9.0 (4.8)* | 9.5 (5.7)* | 10.0 (7.8)* |
| duration of treatment (m) | 29.4 (13.3) | 29.8 (8.2)† | 38.2 (12.6)† | 19.2 (3.6)† |
| Efficacy | ||||
| relapse rate at baseline | 1.9 (0.9)† | 2.2 (1.3)* | 1.9 (0.7)* | 1.9 (0.7)* |
| relapse rate on treatment | 1.2 (1.2)† | 1.3 (1.1)* | 1.2 (1.4)* | 1.1 (0.9)* |
| relapse free | 16/96 (16.7%) | 0/22‡ | 7/37 (19%)‡ | 10/37 (27%)‡ |
| corticosteroid use at baseline | 0.9 (0.7)† | 1.1 (0.8)* | 0.9 (0.6)* | 0.8 (0.7)* |
| corticosteroid use on treatment | 0.6 (1.0)† | 0.7 (1.2)* | 0.6 (1.2)* | 0.6 (0.8)* |
| mobility at baseline | 1.4 (1)† | 1.4 (0.9)* | 1.4 (0.9)* | 1.4 (1.0)* |
| mobility on treatment | 2.1 (1.6)† | 2.2 (1.7)* | 2.1 (1.7)* | 2.0 (1.6)* |
| SP on treatment | 23/101 (22.8%) | 7/24 (29.2%) | 9/37 (24.3%) | 6/37 (16.2%) |
| early discontinuation | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Neutralising antibodies | ||||
| Positive | 22/73 (30.1%) | 0/18 | 12/32 (38%) | 10/23 (44%) |
| ABN stopping criteria | ||||
| relapses or secondary progression | 40/101 (39.6%) | 10/24 (41.7%) | 16/37 (43.2%) | 13/37 (35.1%) |
| relapses | 17/101 (16.8%) | 3/24 (12.5%) | 7/37 (18.9%) | 7/37 (18.9%) |
| secondary progression | 15/101 (14.9%) | 4/24 (16.7%) | 6/37 (16.2%) | 4/37 (10.8%) |
| relapses and secondary progression | 8/101 (7.9%) | 3/24 (12.5%) | 3/37 (8.1%) | 2/37 (5.4%) |
| inability to walk | 2/101 (2%) | 1/24 (4.2%) | 1/37 (2.7%) | 0/24 (0%) |