Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-mediated disease of the CNS characterized in most cases by a relapsing and remitting disease course, often followed by a progressive course. There are many available injectable therapies for the relapsing-remitting form of MS (RRMS); however, efficacy can be affected by poor adherence and compliance, and an increased frequency of side effects as a result of frequent injections is seen.
Areas covered: This review focuses on the use of subcutaneous PEGylated IFNβ-1a (PEGIFN β-1a) in RRMS. The pharmacological data in addition to clinical safety and tolerability are analyzed. The clinical efficacy is assessed by evaluating results of various end points used in the ADVANCE Phase III study and the differences between treatment groups over 2 years.
Expert opinion: We discuss the significance of the ADVANCE trial results and how the results compare to other products on the market. Due to a lack of head-to-head comparison of PEGIFN β-1a with other types of drugs for RRMS, it is difficult to draw conclusion about the superiority of the drug. We also discuss whether the results can be applied to patients with more severe forms of the disease. Overall, PEGIFN β-1a is a promising addition to the repertoire of emerging drugs for the treatment of RRMS.
Keywords: IFN; PEGIFN β-1a; PEGylated; drug evaluation; multiple sclerosis; relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis; review.