Discontinuing Multiple Sclerosis Therapies at Age 55 or Older

Retrospective data suggest that some people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may safely stop disease-modifying therapy (DMT) if stable by a certain age. DISCOMS was a multicenter, randomized, controlled, rater-blinded study of patients with all MS disease subtypes, age ≥55 years, no relapse in the past 5 years, and no new MRI lesions in the past 3 years, while taking a DMT.

Among 259 participants, a relapse or new MRI lesion was observed in 4.7% in the DMT-continue group and 12.2% in the discontinue group during 2 years of follow-up. Disability worsening did not differ between the groups. Patient-reported outcomes and adverse outcomes were also similar between the groups. Clinical relapses occurred in 1 in the continue group and 3 in the discont…