Table 1.
Main demographic and clinical data of patients treated with interferon-beta (IFNB) and glatiramer acetate, according to literature data.
| n | Age at MS onset (years) | Treatment duration (months) | Side effects | Clinical results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVONEX | |||||
| Waubant et al. [2001] | 9 | 11 | 17 | • Flu-like symptoms (44%) • Injection site reaction (11%) | No impact on relapse rate |
| Pakdaman et al. [2006] | 16 (8 treated) | 48 | • No significant side effects • No treatment discontinuations | In treated group: • significantly fewer relapses and disability progression. • fewer new MRI lesions | |
| Ghezzi et al. [2009a] | 77 | 11.4 | 53.6 | • Flu-like syndrome (24.7%) • Headache (19.5%) • Myalgia (9,1%) • Fatigue (6.5%) • Skin injection reaction (6.5%) • Psychological disturbances (2.6%) • Increased liver enzymes (5.2%) • Thyroid dysfunction (10.4%) • Lymphopenia (1.3%) | • Decreased relapse rate (from 2.5 to 0.4) • Final EDSS unchanged • 26% of patients lost to follow up or stopped the therapy (after 3.9 years) • 30% of patients shifted to other drugs (mean follow up duration 5.3 yeas) |
| REBIF | |||||
| Tenembaum and Segura [2006] | 24 | 9.3 | 44.4 | • 2 serious adverse events (chronic arthritis 1, attempted suicide 1) • Flu-like symptoms (58%) • Myalgia/arthralgia (17%) • Injection site reaction (75%) • Abnormal liver enzymes (33%) | • Significant reduction of relapse rate • Decreased EDSS in subjects ≤ 10 years old |
| Pohl et al. [2005] | 51 | 13.4 | 21.6 | • Injection site reaction (71%) • Flu-like symptoms (65%) • Gastrointestinal symptoms (10%) • Abnormal liver enzymes (35%) • Abnormal blood counts (39%) • Discontinued 9/51 | • Decreased relapse rate (from 1.9 to 0.8) • EDSS score stable in 48/51 |
| Ghezzi et al. [2009a] | 39 | 12.6 | 59.9 | • Injection skin reaction (18%) • Flu-like syndrome (7.7%) • Headache (7.7%) • Myalgia (5.1%) • Fatigue (2.8%) • Nausea (2.8%) • Lymphopenia (7.7%) | • Decreased relapse rate (from 3.2 to 0.9) • Final EDSS unchanged • 64% of patients shifted to other treatments (mean follow up duration 3.6 yeas) |
| BETAFERON | |||||
| Banwell et al. [2006] | 43 | 10.9 | 29.2 | • No serious or unexpected events • Flu-like symptoms (35%) • Injection site reaction (20.9%) • Abnormal liver enzymes (21%) • Discontinued 25/431 | • Reduction of relapse rate of 50% |
| COPAXONE | |||||
| Kornek et al. [2003] | 7 | 13.7 | 24 | • No laboratory abnormalities • Transient systemic reaction (14%) | • 28% relapse-free • No change in mean EDSS |
| Ghezzi et al. [2009a] | 14 | 13.1 | 74.6 | • Occasionally chest pain • No hematological abnormality | • Decreased relapse rate (from 2.9 to 0.2) • Final EDSS slightly improved |
| AVONEX/REBIF/BETAFERON | |||||
| Mikaeloff et al. [2001] | 13 2 1 | 13.1 | 12 | • Flu-like symptoms (69%) • Injection site reaction (19%) • Transient abnormal liver enzymes (6%) | • Treatment failure in 25% • EDSS stable at the end of follow up |
| Mikaeloff et al. [2008] | 12 9 3 | Mean 11.0 | 17.1 | NA | • Significant delay to the subsequent attack • Less frequent (but not significant) occurrence of severe disability |
EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale.