Table 1.
Demographic and baseline characteristics of all patients who completed follow up. Stated p-values refer to comparisons between patients on continual NTZ treatment with patients switching to alternative therapies (FTY and other DMTs).
| Patients treated with NTZ | Patients switching from NTZ to FTY | Patients switching from NTZ to other DMT | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | 61 (53.5) | 43 (37.7) | 10 (8.8) | |
| Female, N (%) | 41 (67.2) | 31 (72.1) | 7 (70.0) | p = 0.867 |
| Mean age in years (SD) | 39.6 (±12.3) | 46.19 (±11.3) | 46.0 (±13.3) | p = 0.009 |
| Mean time since first symptoms in years (SD) | 11.4 (±7.8) | 15.8 (±9.2) | 11.1 (±4.7) | p = 0.022 |
| Mean time since MS diagnosis in years (SD) | 9.2 (±5.3) | 13.3 (±7.5) | 9.5 (±3.9) | p = 0.013 |
| Number of relapses before NTZ mean (SD) | 3.7 (±2.2) | 4.5 (±2.9) | 2.9 (±2.1) | p = 0.148 |
| Median EDSS before NTZ | 2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | p = 0.783 |
| MS treatment prior to natalizumab, N (%) | ||||
| Interferon-beta | 27 (44.3) | 29 (67.4) | 5 (50.0) | p = 0.064 |
| Glatiramer acetate | 8 (13) | 9 (20.9) | 2 (20.0) | p = 0.550 |
| Azathioprine | 0 (0) | 2 (4.7) | 0 (0) | p = 0.186 |
| Teriflunomide | 1 (1.6) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | p = 0.645 |
| Fingolimod | 4 (6.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | p = 0.165 |
| Mitoxantron | 0 (0) | 3 (6.9) | 0 (0) | p = 0.079 |
| Treatment-naïve | 27 (44.3) | 11 (25.6) | 4 (40.0) | p = 0.349 |
| Primary reasons for beginning NTZ treatment, % (n) | ||||
| Disease progression despite previous treatment | 34 (55.7) | 26 (60.5) | 6 (60.0) | p = 0.882 |
| Lack of tolerance of previous treatment | 0 (0) | 6 (13.9) | 0 (0) | p = 0.005 |
| First treatment, highly active disease | 27 (44.3) | 11 (25.6) | 4 (40.0) | p = 0.349 |
DMT, disease-modifying treatment; EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale; FTY, fingolimod; MS, multiple sclerosis; NTZ, natalizumab; SD, standard deviation.