BACKGROUND Statins have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties in addition to their lipid-lowering effects. Currently, the effects of statins on multiple sclerosis are still controversial. Therefore, randomized clinical trials are needed to provide better evidence on the therapeutic potential of statins in multiple sclerosis. The SWiss Atorvastatin and Interferon Beta-1b trial in Mul...

background: interferon beta-la and -1b have been increasingly used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (ms). the most frequent systemic adverse effects are flu-like symptoms. laboratory abnormalities include asymptomatic leukopenia and elevated hepatic transaminases. myelodysplastic syndrome (mds) refers to a spectrum of hematological disorders which can occur in different situations. sever...

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of presumed autoimmune origin that affects the central nervous system. The main form of therapy is based on the use of immunomodulators such as interferon beta, which are usually well tolerated. Skin manifestations resulting from treatment with interferon beta-1b consist principally of reactions at the site of subcutaneous application ...

OBJECTIVE To assess efficacy, safety, and tolerability of every-other-day interferon beta-1b treatment in patients with a first clinical event suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS) (clinically isolated syndrome). METHODS We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Patients with a first clinical demyelinating event and at least two clinically silent brain MR...

OBJECTIVE To examine the long-term impact of early treatment initiation of interferon beta-1b (IFNB1b, Betaferon/Betaseron) in patients with a first event suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS In the original placebo-controlled phase of BENEFIT, patients were randomised to IFNB1b 250 μg or placebo subcutaneously every other day. After 2 years or diagnosis of clinically definite MS (C...

In this study we aimed to determine the levels of tumor necrosis factor beta (TNF-b), interleukin (IL) 1-beta (IL-1b), IL-5, IL-10, and interferon gamma (IFN-g ) in CSF from children during the onset of West syndrome (WS). We observed elevated levels of IL-1b and IFN-g correlated to clinical, EEG, therapeutic response, and follow-up suggesting the involvement of immune response in WS. These res...

BACKGROUND Decision-analytic cost-effectiveness models are used to determine the most cost-effective treatment option on the basis of the best available data. Guidelines for pharmacoeconomic model development indicate that models should be updated as new evidence becomes available. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the appropriateness of the clinical data that were selected for Goldberg et al.'s 2009 mod...

BACKGROUND De-escalating natalizumab (NTZ) to interferon beta 1b (IFN B 1B) is a possible treatment option in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients interrupting NTZ because of increased risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The aim of this study was to evaluate satisfaction and adherence to treatment, behavioral and fatigue changes in patients switched to IFN B 1B compared to con...