PRISMS Crossover Study Corroborates Benefit of Rebif as Treatment for RRMS
Date: Saturday, July 23 @ 17:37:30 EDT
Topic: Rebif
The PRISMS study, demonstrating the efficacy of Rebif, was completed in
2001. It demonstrated benefits in all outcome measures across the 2
year trial, particularly with respect to number of relapses, MRI
activity and disability progression. As with all major trials, there
was a placebo group, which provided the PRISMS study an interesting
opportunity to investigate what would happen if the patients originally
on placebo were then switched over to Rebif therapy. The results are
consistent with what one might expect:
Beginning in the third year (after two years of placebo), the placebo
patients were randomized into two groups, one receiving 22mcg, the
other 44 mcg, subcutaneously 3 times per week. At the end of years 3
and 4, the patients were evaluated, and both groups showed a 54%
reduction in mean relapse rate, as well as a "significant" improvement
in disability progression, MRI activity and T2 lesion burden.
Again this is nothing surprising-- because the patient group was well
understood in this study prior to inception of therapy, the results are
slightly more striking (e.g., instead of comparing a patient to an
average relapse rate expected of an RRMS'er, you can compare the
patient directly to their own relapse rate in the previous years).
The studies continue to corroborate that the Interferons do indeed work as disease modifying agents...
Click "read more" for the link to the abstract on PubMed...
Article Abstract Hosted at PubMed
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