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IntroductionNo evidence of disease activity with three components (NEDA-3) is achieved if the person with MS (pwMS) has no new MRI lesions, no new relapses and no change in Expanded disability status scale (EDSS) over 1 year. Whether NEDA-3 is a good tool in measuring disease activity is up for discussion, but it is superior to the individual parameters separately and user-friendly. There is disagreement on whether NEDA-3 is a good predictor of long-term disability.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study using real-world data with limited selection bias from the complete MS population at two hospitals in the southeast of Norway. We included pwMS diagnosed between 2006 and 2017 who had enough information to determine time to failure of NEDA-3 after diagnosis.ResultsOf 536 pwMS, only 38% achieved NEDA 1 year after diagnosis. PwMS achieving NEDA were more likely to be started on a high efficacy drug as the initial drug, but there were no demographic differences. Mean time to NEDA failure was 3.3 (95% CI 2.9–3.7) years. Starting a high efficiacy therapy was associated with an increased risk of sustaining NEDA as compared to those receiving moderate efficacy therapy. PwMS who achieved NEDA at year one had a mean time to EDSS 6 of 33.8 (95% CI 30.9–36.8) years vs. 30.8 (95% CI 25.0–36.6) years in pwMS who did not achieve NEDA, p < 0.001. When rebaselining NEDA 1 year after diagnosis, 52.2% achieved NEDA in the 1st year after rebaseline, mean time to NEDA failure was 3.4 (95% CI 3.0–3.7) years and mean time to EDSS 6 was 44.5 (95% CI 40.4–48.5) years in pwMS achieving NEDA vs. 29.6 (95% CI 24.2–35.0) years in pwMS not achieving NEDA, p < 0.001. After rebaseline, pwMS with a high efficacy therapy as the initial drug had a mean time from diagnosis to NEDA fail of 4.8 years (95% CI 3.9–5.8) vs. 3.1 years (95% CI 2.7–3.5) in pwMS started on a moderate efficacy therapy, p < 0.001. In pwMS with NEDA failure at year one, 70% failed one, 28% failed two and 2% failed three components. New MRI lesions were the most common cause of NEDA failure (63%), followed by new relapses (50%) and EDSS change (25%).ConclusionNEDA-3 from rebaseline after 1 year, once treatment is stabilized, can predict the long-term disease course in MS. Starting a high efficacy DMT is associated with longer time to NEDA failure than moderate therapies. Finally, most pwMS only fail one component and new MRI lesions are the most likely cause of NEDA failure.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize multiple sclerosis (MS) patients exposed to dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and to evaluate the predictors of therapeutic response. In addition, the study offers a picture of how DMF use has changed over the past few years in naive or switcher patients.Methods: In this observational monocentric study, we examined the prescription flow of DMF in MS patients categorized as naive or switchers (for safety/tolerability, ineffectiveness, and de-escalation strategy) from 2015 to 2019. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging data of DMF-treated patients were analyzed, and NEDA-3 status at 24 months was evaluated by the three assessment components (absence of clinical relapses, no Expanded Disability Status Scale progression, no radiological activity). Determinants of therapeutic response were also evaluated using regression analysis.Results: The sample included 595 MS patients exposed to DMF categorized as naive (158; 26.5%) and switchers for reasons of safety/tolerability (198; 33.3%), inefficacy (175; 29.4%), and de-escalation strategy (64; 10.8%). A 15% increase in DMF use in naive and horizontal shift groups was observed in the last 3 years of observation, whereas there was a drop, with prescription passed from ~20% to

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize multiple sclerosis (MS) patients exposed to dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and to evaluate the predictors of therapeutic response. In addition, the study offers a picture of how DMF use has changed over the past few years in naive or switcher patients. Methods: In this observational monocentric study, we examined the prescription flow of DMF in MS patients categorized as naive or switchers (for safety/tolerability, ineffectiveness, and de-escalation strategy) from 2015 to 2019. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging data of DMF-treated patients were analyzed, and NEDA-3 status at 24 months was evaluated by the three assessment components (absence of clinical relapses, no Expanded Disability Status Scale progression, no radiological activity). Determinants of therapeutic response were also evaluated using regression analysis. Results: The sample included 595 MS patients exposed to DMF categorized as naive (158; 26.5%) and switchers for reasons of safety/tolerability (198; 33.3%), inefficacy (175; 29.4%), and de-escalation strategy (64; 10.8%). A 15% increase in DMF use in naive and horizontal shift groups was observed in the last 3 years of observation, whereas there was a drop, with prescription passed from ~20% to <5%, as an exit strategy from second-line therapies. NEDA-3 status was calculated for 340 patients after 24 months of DMF treatment and achieved in 188 (55.3%) of these. Analyzing the predictors of DMF response, we observed that lower annualized relapse rate (ARR) in 2 years pretreatment [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.49, p = 0.001] and being naive patients (HR = 1.38, p = 0.035) were associated with achievement of NEDA-3. Analogously, ARR in 2 years pretreatment affected the NEDA-3 achievement at 24 months in patients of the de-escalation group (HR = 0.07, p = 0.041), also indicating an effect related to the DMF initiation within 3 months (HR = 1.24, p = 0.029). Conclusion: Our findings confirm DMF as a handy drug with broad clinical utility, with greater benefits for naive patients and horizontal switchers. Additionally, an increase in the flow of DMF prescriptions in these two groups of patients was also observed in our cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Trends of disease activity during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and until 24 months from the delivery in the era of new drugs for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) need to be investigated.Methods: In this cross-sectional Italian multicenter study, women with RRMS were included; the disease-modifying treatment (DMT) at the time of conception included were: interferons, glatiramer acetate, teriflunomide, dimethyl fumarate, fingolimod, and natalizumab. The main outcome of the study was to determine the rate of relapse occurrence during pregnancy and the postpartum period in all women grouped for each DMT. The secondary outcome was to determine the overall disease activity assessed by NEDA 3 (relapse, disability level, and radiological activity) at 24 months from the date of delivery.Results: Completed data were available for 81 pregnancies (in 74 women). Women on interferons and glatiramer had longer disease duration than women on dimethyl fumarate, fingolimod, and natalizumab (p < 0.05). Overall, we recorded 25 relapses during pregnancy (11 in 11 women) and the postpartum period (14 in 14 women). Natalizumab was the most commonly DMT in women (3) who experienced relapses during pregnancy. IFNs were the most commonly prescribed DMT in women (8) who experienced relapses during the postpartum period. At logistic regression analysis, specific treatment per se was not associated with relapse occurrence. No differences among the DMTs groups were recorded about NEDA 3 status at 24 months of follow-up.Conclusions: In our population, there was no difference in terms of relapses occurrence, disability status, and the overall disease activity during a follow up of 24 months.

Introduction: Trends of disease activity during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and until 24 months from the delivery in the era of new drugs for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) need to be investigated. Methods: In this cross-sectional Italian multicenter study, women with RRMS were included; the disease-modifying treatment (DMT) at the time of conception included were: interferons, glatiramer acetate, teriflunomide, dimethyl fumarate, fingolimod, and natalizumab. The main outcome of the study was to determine the rate of relapse occurrence during pregnancy and the postpartum period in all women grouped for each DMT. The secondary outcome was to determine the overall disease activity assessed by NEDA 3 (relapse, disability level, and radiological activity) at 24 months from the date of delivery. Results: Completed data were available for 81 pregnancies (in 74 women). Women on interferons and glatiramer had longer disease duration than women on dimethyl fumarate, fingolimod, and natalizumab (p < 0.05). Overall, we recorded 25 relapses during pregnancy (11 in 11 women) and the postpartum period (14 in 14 women). Natalizumab was the most commonly DMT in women (3) who experienced relapses during pregnancy. IFNs were the most commonly prescribed DMT in women (8) who experienced relapses during the postpartum period. At logistic regression analysis, specific treatment per se was not associated with relapse occurrence. No differences among the DMTs groups were recorded about NEDA 3 status at 24 months of follow-up. Conclusions: In our population, there was no difference in terms of relapses occurrence, disability status, and the overall disease activity during a follow up of 24 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]