MS Speaks

From Multiple Sclerosis Journal, August 1, 2017--Dr. John Corboy's commentary on a debate about whether disease-modifying therapies can be safely discontinued in patients with stable RRMS.

One significant section of the article:

In both relapsing and progressive MS trials, age, recent relapses, and baseline active lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are predictive of response to multiple DMTs, yet both relapses and new MRI lesions are noted to decline dramatically with aging. Taken as a whole, there simply are little or no data that starting to use
any of the presently available DMTs has much benefit in typical older patients, perhaps over 55, especially if they do not have a recent history of relapses
or active MRI scans.

Also this:

Finally, the apparent reduction in efficacy of the presently available DMTs in the aging MS patient, at a time when many are experiencing progressive disability,
should be a reminder that there remains a critical need to develop therapies directed toward this patient population.

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1352458517717809