Highly effective therapies have changed the approach to treating multiple sclerosis, experts emphasize.
Press materials
- Until recently, treatment of newly diagnosed MS patients began with less effective drugs. Currently, a new direction in the treatment of multiple sclerosis is observed in the world. More and more often in clinical practice from the very beginning of therapy, highly effective therapies are used (the so-called HET – highly effective treatment).
- Studies show that introducing them from the beginning of treatment stops the development of the disease and is associated with less progression of disability after 6-10 years than in the case of starting therapy in the later course of the disease.
- – In treating patients with MS, time plays a key role, which is why it is so important to stop the development of the disease from the very beginning. This helps to slow down the process of changes in the brain and spinal cord. Such an opportunity is provided by the implementation of highly effective therapies in the early stages of the disease, which is currently only used in the second line of treatment, when we no longer have any influence on the changes that have occurred – emphasizes prof. dr hab. n. med. Krzysztof Selmaj, Director of the Neurology Center in Łódź, Head of the Department and Clinical Department of Neurology at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn.
The first milestone in the treatment of MS
Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common inflammatory and demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. In Poland, about 45 thousand people suffer from it. people, most often appears in the population of the so-called young adults, that is between 20 and 40 years of age, 70% are women. MS is a heterogeneous disease. It is different for each patient, but there are three main forms: relapsing-remitting (RRSM), primary progressive (PPSM) and secondary progressive (SPMS).
Until recently, treatment for multiple sclerosis was possible only in patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Primary progressive patients had no indication of any effective therapy. The situation was similar for the secondary progressive form, where disease-modifying relapsing-remitting therapies available through drug programs were not effective for SPMS.
– Currently, the area of multiple sclerosis is one of the fastest growing therapeutic areas. This can be seen in the rate of registration of new therapies with an innovative mechanism of action. Due to the development of medicine in this area, patients suffering from previously untreated forms of MS have the option of being treated with modern therapies that significantly slow down the development of the disease, explains Prof. Halina Bartosik-Psujek, Consultant of the Podkarpackie Province in the field of neurology, President of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Section of the Polish Neurological Society. – According to the data of the latest Atlas of MS, Poland is a country where patients have access to all medications in accordance with clinical recommendations. The exception is the therapy for patients struggling with the secondary progressive form – this is the last group of patients who are still waiting for access to therapy – adds professor Bartosik-Psujek.
Changing the traditional treatment regimen
The most frequently repeated treatment regimen for multiple sclerosis is to start therapy with a so-called first-line drug with lower efficacy, and when the patient’s health deteriorates, the therapy is switched to a second-line drug with higher efficacy.
– The traditional belief to start treatment with less invasive therapy was based mainly on the desire to avoid drugs with a long duration of action on the immune system, and the choice of a drug that is safer for the patient, with a lower incidence of side effects. Today, thanks to several years of research, we know that the safety of basic and highly effective therapies is comparable. An example is ofatumumab, a drug that can offer patients a highly effective and safe treatment even in the early stages of the disease, and thus prevent early progression of disability, explains Prof. Krzysztof Selmaj. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease, so if inflammation is successfully stopped at the onset of the disease, neurodegenerative processes will not occur or will be significantly delayed. The introduction of first-line high-safety therapy and the second-line efficacy of treatment allows patients and doctors to choose the optimal treatment as part of MS therapy, she concludes.
Studies conducted among patients show that the use of effective and highly effective drugs is one of the main expectations of people suffering from multiple sclerosis (87%). As a result, patients can be sure that they are receiving the most effective treatment that stops the progression of the disease.
– One of the main priorities in the treatment of multiple sclerosis should be early access to highly effective therapies in line with European standards. In addition to their efficacy and safety profile, the patient may also be encouraged by the method of administering the therapy that allows it to be adjusted to the patient’s preferences. In addition to traditional tablets and infusions, there are also subcutaneous injections, administered once a month using a pen similar to the one used in diabetic patients. This method of administration allows for individualization of therapy and adapting it to the patient’s needs, taking into account not only the disease activity, but also life plans – explains Dr. Elżbieta Jasińska from the RESMEDICA Neurological Clinic in Kielce. – My clinical practice shows that the method of administering the drug without the need for hospitalization and premedication significantly affects the quality of life, but also the patient’s motivation for treatment. Thus, it reduces the chance of quitting therapy. The lack of the need for such frequent medical visits may also positively affect the optimization of the model of care, concludes Dr. Jasińska.