Only Half of MS Patients Respond to Interferon Therapy

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that treating multiple sclerosis with the drug interferon only works for about half of patients.



http://www.mscare.org/cmsc/index.php...read&id=621229

This study and the conclusions are a JOKE!!

I need a few more glasses of wine and a little food before I expand my comments.

Read it with a critical eye and see if you can see some possible flaws/weaknesses in it.

jackD

Why not just point out the discrepancies you feel are there? After your wine, of course.............

The results were based solely on MRI brain lesions. We know brain lesions come and go on their own in MS patients. There is remitting and relapsing episodes of the disease which will effect test results.

In other words, the accuracy of the MRI findings are suspect at best.

Harry

I agree. I'd never use an MRI as a gauge to determine the severity of my MS. You can have many lesions with little to no disability.....or just one lesion in just the right (or wrong) place and you can have severe disability.

I also agree that the Interferon therapies are not consistently successful. I think I read somewhere that they're successful in reducing progression in only 30% of those who take it. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong....I'm just going from memory here.

Personally, the side effects and site effects were not worth it to me with such a low percentage of effectiveness. But, everyone's MS is different and everyone responds differently to treatment. If it seems to be working for you then go for it. For me, the pros must outweigh the cons......and Interferon treatment just didn't work for me.

In addition to some of the weaknesses noted by others I strongly object to the fact that the study(joke) only included 15 MS folks!!!

Even calling this small study a "pilot" study would be weak.

Some responder/nonresponder categories were 2 or 3 people!!!

Also the Interferon Beta used was Interferon Beta 1b.

This in an inferior version of the Human interferon Beta 1a which is usad in Avonex and Rebiff which is nearly identical to the Human interferon Beta. The Beta 1a designation is only used to identify that it was artifically constructed.

Interferon Beta 1b therefore has a higher rate of devoloping neutralizing antibodies. However they make conclustion about ALL interferon Beta treatment. Avonex a true version of Human Interferon Beta produces much less antibody formation partly because it is injected way under the highly reactive skin and partly because it is almost exactely the same as the Interferon Beta or own bodies produce. Much of our reaction to these drugs comes from other plasma material stuff in the liquid mix injected.

jackD

All I know is that interferons make me much sicker the MS EVER did..Won't touch 'em.

When I was first dxed 2 years ago and struggling with deciding whether or not to go on a drug, I asked my neuro-ophthalmologist to give me her candid, personal feelings about what she would do. She hesitated at first but then said "if you had asked me five years ago I would have said definitely, yes, but now I'm not so sure." Her honesty is one of the reasons I like her so much.

I think that ultimately it's important that people feel good about what they're doing and are willing to take responsibility for it, whatever it is that they decide.

Polar -- I totally agree with you! Being on the interferons was WAY WORSE than dealing with the MS itself. I found that drug to be torture.

Bearygood -- sounds like you have a great neurologist!

Well, neuro-OP at least! In fact, she not only ordered a follow-up MRI of my orbits but also one of the brain -- my MS specialist seems to have no interest in me and I believe one of the reasons is because I'm not on drugs. I'm not yet sure I'm going to go back to see him this year.