Key clinical point: Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are associated with improvements in disability outcomes in patients with active relapses during secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS).
Major finding: Patients who experienced superimposed relapses during SPMS and received DMTs had a greater proportion of time with a reduced Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS) progression slope during SPMS (per 25% increase in proportion of time receiving treatment, β = −0.025; P less than .001 for low-efficacy; β = −0.022; P = .06 for medium-efficacy; and β = −0.034; P = .002 for high-efficacy therapies).
Study details: An observational cohort study of 1,621 patients with active SPMS from the international MSBase registry.
Disclosures: The study was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council. The MSBase Foundation receives funding from Bayer, bioCSL, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, and Sanofi Genzyme. The presenting author reported receiving travel compensation from Merck outside the submitted work.
Citation: Lizak N et al. JAMA Neurol. 2020 Jul 27. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.2453.