Table 4

Measures of clinical disease activity from baseline to PRISMS-15 in the lowest (MIN) and highest (MAX) quartiles, by cumulative total dose of sc IFN β-1a and by time receiving sc IFN β-1a per 5 years

Cumulative dose of sc IFN β-1a
Outcomes at year 15MIN (n=73)MAX (n=72)OR* (95% CI) MAX vs MINOdds ratio† (95% CI) per 5 years of sc IFN β-1a treatment
Mean (95% CI) annualised relapse rate‡0.50 (0.46 to 0.54)0.37 (0.33 to 0.40)
Mean (SD) number of relapses7.8 (5.8)5.8 (4.8)
Relapse-free, n (%)5 (6.8)5 (6.9)
3-month confirmed EDSS progression, n (%)50 (68.5)38 (52.8)
Mean (SD) change in EDSS score2.53 (2.01)1.15 (1.52)
EDSS ≥4, n (%)37 (60.7)§21 (31.8)¶0.30 (0.15 to 0.63)0.75 (0.58 to 0.96)
EDSS ≥6, n (%)38 (52.1)10 (13.9)0.15 (0.07 to 0.33)0.60 (0.47 to 0.77)
≤5 relapses and EDSS <4,** n (%)11 (16.9)††25 (35.7)‡‡2.73 (1.21 to 6.14)1.39 (1.05 to 1.83)
≤5 relapses and EDSS <6,§§ n (%)12 (16.4)34 (47.2)4.55 (2.10 to 9.85)1.68 (1.29 to 2.18)
Converted to SPMS, n (%)38 (52.1)15 (20.8)
  • *MIN quartile as a reference category; logistic regression model.

  • †Logistic regression model.

  • ‡Poisson regression model with factors for quartile of cumulative dose of sc IFN β-1a. The log of total observation time in years from PRISMS baseline to PRISMS-15 was used as the offset variable.

  • §n=61.

  • n=66.

  • **Patients with baseline EDSS ≥4 are counted as missing on the EDSS component of the variable.

  • ††n=65.

  • ‡‡n=70.

  • §§Patients with baseline EDSS ≥6 are counted as missing on the EDSS component of the variable.

  • EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale; IFN, interferon; sc, subcutaneous; SPMS, secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.