Disease Modifying Therapies Not Beneficial in Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

To examine whether medications for multiple sclerosis (MS) alter disease progression in secondary progressive MS (SPMS), researchers assessed outcomes in MSBase, which includes more than 36,000 patients from 122 MS centers in 57 countries. SPMS was defined retrospectively by research criteria.

Out of 2381 patients receiving or not receiving treatment, propensity matching and censoring led to 689 in the treated group and 689 in the untreated group. Treatments used in more than 5% of the population included interferon (62%), glatiramer (17%), natalizumab (10%), and fingolimod (7%). Mean age was 48 years, disease duration 15 years, median ambulatory disability without assistance was 100 to 200 meters, and median follow-up was 2 years. The propo…