Newswise — Using a steroid drug for multiple sclerosis (MS) in addition to an MS drug may reduce the amount of disease activity more than using the MS drug alone, according to a study that will be presented as part of the Late-breaking Science Program at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 — May 2, 2009.
For the study, people with MS received the steroid drug methylprednisolone in monthly "pulses," or three doses over three days, in addition to regular weekly treatment with the drug interferon beta-1a. The steroid drug has typically been used only to treat acute MS attacks, not as an ongoing treatment.
The study involved 341 people with relapsing-remitting MS. Half of the participants received both drugs; half received only the interferon drug plus a placebo. The participants were seen every three months during the three-year study for evaluation.
The participants had the disease for an average of three years and had not yet received a disease-modifying drug such as interferon.
Those who received both drugs had 38 percent fewer relapses, or times when the disease is active, than those receiving only the interferon drug. They also improved slightly on a test of MS disability, while the scores for the placebo group decreased slightly.
At the beginning of the study and again after three years, the researchers measured the size of lesions in the brain that are a sign of disease activity. For those receiving both drugs, the lesions stayed the same size or shrunk, while the size of the lesions grew for those taking only interferon.
"These results indicate that these two drugs may have a synergy when taken together and provide a more beneficial effect on the disease activity," said study author Mads Ravnborg, MD, of the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. "This is a promising finding, as the benefit from interferon is only moderate and not everyone responds fully to the treatment, so anything we can do to boost those results is positive."
The study was supported by Biogen Idec.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as multiple sclerosis, restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, narcolepsy, and stroke.
For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com.
The AAN 61st Annual Meeting, the world's largest gathering of neurology professionals, takes place April 25"May 2, 2009, in Seattle. Visit www.aan.com/am for more information.
Editor's Note:
Dr. Ravnborg will present this research during a late-breaking science session at 10:00 a.m. ET / 7:00 a.m. PT, on Thursday, April 30, 2009, in Room 6E at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.
Dr. Ravnborg will be available for media questions during a press briefing at 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT, on Tuesday, April 28, 2009, in Room 309/310 of the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle.
Study authors are available for advance interviews as well.
To access non-late-breaking abstracts to be presented at the 2009 AAN Annual Meeting abstracts, visit http://www.aan.com/go/science/abstracts.
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American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting
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