Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Treatment
 

Advances in MS treatment

Significant advances in the treatment of RRMS have enabled patients to live longer while experiencing fewer relapses and symptoms¹. While relapse prevention and management remain priorities, preventing progression is also critical¹.
Treatment outcomes in this era of improved prognosis should always incorporate both long- term patient goals as well as disease-related objectives.
 

Treatment goals¹,²
 

• Retain neurological reserve
• Maximize physical ability
• Preserve cognitive ability
• Control acute relapses
• Relieve acute symptoms
• Manage progressive worsening

Available treatments
 

Treatment options for MS are rapidly evolving, and several disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are now available². DMTs alter the course of MS through suppression or modulation of immune function¹. Anti-inflammatory mechanisms employed by these DMTs modify the course of MS: reducing relapse rates, preventing further MRI lesions and delaying or preventing disability¹.
Clinical studies have repeatedly confirmed the benefits of an early initiation of treatment with DMTs²,³. A window of opportunity exists to preserve the neurological capacity and prevent disability accumulation in MS.
DMTs available include those that were already approved since the 1990s, as well as DMTs with different mechanisms of action that were approved much more recently⁴. Efficacy differences between DMTs exist, in addition to variations in their side-effect profiles².
Some of the newer DMTs have clearly shown an efficacy superior to the older DMTs⁴. It has also been shown that patients who initiate early treatment with these higher-efficacy DMTs have improved health outcomes⁴. Currently, much debate surrounds the topic of the right time for starting or switching to these high-efficacy options³,⁴.

Future MS treatment
 

It is an exciting era in MS treatment, with a range of therapies able to modify the disease course effectively. Proactive prevention of progression remains an unmet need in MS¹.
Watch expert MS clinicians examine the value of early treatment in MS ‘First do no harm – Why isn’t treating early the standard of care in MS?’