Table 6.

Reasons for drug switching during first-line treatment (cases where the drug was changed are shown; multi-answer question)

	Total, n (%)	Interferon β-1b	Interferon β -1a	Glatiramer acetate	Dimethyl fumarate	Peginterferon β-1a
Treatment failure* (total or partial)	51 (76.1)	19	16	9	6	1
Pregnancy/planned pregnancy/breastfeeding	1 (1.5)	1	0	0	0	0
Clinically significant skin lesions	9 (13.4)	7	1	1	0	0
Drug hypersensitivity (general or at administration)	5 (7.5)	2	2	1	0	0
Depressive disorders	3 (4.5)	2	1	0	0	0
Change in blood parameters (which is a contraindication to further use)	1 (1.5)	1	0	0	0	0
Other reasons (different from SmPC)	3 (4.5)	1	0	2	0	0
All switched therapies	67 (100)**	28	19	13	6	1

SmPC – Summary of Product Characteristics

^*Total failure was defined as lack of response to a full 12-month course of first-line treatment: 1) at least two moderate relapses (increase of 1-2 EDSS points) or one severe relapse after 6 months of treatment (increase of > 2 EDSS points) and 2) new lesions on MRI performed after month 12 (> 1 Gd+ lesion or > 2 T2 lesions); the two conditions must be met simultaneously. Partial failure was defined as the occurrence of only one of the above criteria.

^**The total numbers/percentages of switched therapies do not sum up because in one case drug switching was due to two reasons.