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Review
. 2020 Jun 26:10:29-38.
doi: 10.2147/DNND.S224912. eCollection 2020.

Re-Evaluating the Use of IFN-β and Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: Safety, Efficacy and Place in Therapy

Carolyn H Goldschmidt  1 , Le H Hua  2
Affiliations
Review

Re-Evaluating the Use of IFN-β and Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: Safety, Efficacy and Place in Therapy

Carolyn H Goldschmidt et al. Degener Neurol Neuromuscul Dis. .

Abstract

The advent of interferon therapy for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) was a massive advancement in the field and changed the course of the disease. While the exact mechanism of interferon therapy in MS is unknown, disease control is likely mediated by reducing Th1 and Th17 cells while increasing regulatory T cells and altering the cytokine profile. Interferon therapy not only gave physicians and patients an evidence-based treatment option to treat MS by decreasing relapses and the accrual of disability but it also provided valuable insight into disease pathophysiology that allowed for the development of further treatments. Currently, there are 18 disease-modifying therapies available for the treatment of MS with varying efficacies, routes of administration, and mechanisms. As treatment options in the field have evolved, interferon therapy is less commonly prescribed as first-line therapy, because the newer therapies are more effective and better tolerated. That being said, interferons still have a place in the field in both clinical practice and clinical trial research. In this review, we will summarize the safety and efficacy of interferon therapy and discuss its current place in MS care.

Keywords: disease-modifying therapy; interferon-beta therapy; multiple sclerosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

CG has no conflicts of interest to disclose regarding this work. LHH has received speaking and consulting fees from Biogen, Genzyme, Genentech, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, and EMD Serono.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Timeline of FDA approval for currently available disease-modifying therapies. Brand names only used for IFNβ formulations for clarity. Infusion therapies are in red text, oral therapies are in blue text and injectable therapies are in green text.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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