Monthly Treatment?

[Rick72]

I read that in the next couple of years a new long acting interferon beta will be on the market that will require only one monthly injection. The adverse events seem to be limited only to the days after the injection so one will be able to have the rest of the month without side effects. If it turns out to be true, would you switch to this new product? Thoughts on a monthly interferon vs the other oral or IV treatment options that all seem to have a less than stellar safety record?

[TLC_31]

A Phase III trial (the ADVANCE trial) of a Biogen once-a-month injectible interferon, BIIB017, will conclude early next year, according to the clinical trials website. I would be willing to switch, although BG-12 will likely be available first and it may be appealing.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/N...BIIB017&rank=1

[Redwings]

A monthly interferon will certainly be more convenient than one that has to be injected multiple times per month. But just having one dose last longer doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be more effective than the multidose versions. So in that respect, there's no comparison between an interferon and the currently available Tysabri and Gilenya. The increased risk (with the less-than-stellar track records) is the trade-off for greater effectiveness.

While it's true that some people have moved to the higher-risk meds simply because they didn't want the inconvenience of injections, neither of them was developed as a "convenience" med. The majority of folks on Tysabri are on it because the injectibles weren't working adequately or the side effects were intolerable. One of the purposes of the TOUCH program for Tysabri was to discourage people from switching to a much riskier drug for the sake of convenience. Gilenya, though, may have had a lot of converts from the injectibles just for convenience.

For people who switched to higher-risk meds because they were trying for greater effectiveness, the monthly interferon offers no more advantages than the multidose versions, which weren't working adequately anyway. Again, there's no comparison between a med that works for someone and a med that doesn't.

A monthly interferon could function as a nice option for anyone who had to abandon the injectibles due to injection site reactions or even fear of the injections themselves. In the pipeline, though, are oral meds that will be as effective and relatively safe as the injectibles. An oral has incentives over an injectible, even a monthly one. But a monthly interferon could still be an alternative to an oral med of comparable effectiveness for the appropriate person.