Why carry out this study?

Switching disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) plays an important role in the therapeutic management of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Analyzing the role of fingolimod as part of the MS treatment strategy is of utmost importance due to its high efficacy, potential side effects, and the occurrence of rebound events after cessation of treatment.

The aim of this study was to identify and characterize treatment switches, the reasons for these switches, and the predictors of drug switching in fingolimod-treated patients with MS based on real-world data over the period 2010–2019.

What was learned from the study?

Most patients were treated with interferon beta prior to being switched to fingolimod (30.7%) or were treatment-naïve (28.3%), whereas the monoclonal antibodies ocrelizumab (19.8%) and natalizumab (19.1%) were the most common follow-up therapies for patients who switched from fingolimod.

The duration of fingolimod treatment is currently shorter than stated in the post-marketing approval statement, and the range of alternative treatments is growing; therefore, appropriate washout periods need to be determined on an individual basis.