Course of therapy in patients with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis despite first-line treatment

PURPOSE: Treatment of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in Poland begins with first-line therapy; however, the treatment often fails. The aim of this study was to investigate the course of first-line treatment in patients who, despite experiencing an active course of the disease, did not receive more efficacious treatment due to the existing criteria in the drug program. METHODS: The study included 139 patients from 45 treatment centers. Medical data concerning the course of treatment were collected with the use of specific forms. RESULTS: The most frequently used drugs were β-interferons, and treatment was initiated with these drugs in most cases; however, administration of dimethyl fumarate was also common. The median treatment duration was 30.9 months, with the longest treatment duration observed for β-interferons. The most common reason for therapy switching or termination was treatment failure. CONCLUSIONS: First-line therapy in the studied population was based mainly on β-interferons and dimethyl fumarate. For most medications, the discontinuation of therapy or drug switching were very common and the main reason was total or partial treatment failure. These observations suggest the need for earlier implementation of more effective treatment, based on drugs with high efficacy, in the study population.