[Disease-modifying drugs in pediatric patients with multiple sclerosis]

The vast majority of therapies are being evaluated and introduced for the treatment of adult multiple sclerosis (MS). A role of these drugs in the management of pediatric MS has yet to be defined both in Russia and in the whole world. Despite the fact that today the study of new drugs in the pediatric population have included in routine practices of the big pharmaceutical agencies, such as FDA and EMA, recommendations for the treatment of pediatric patients with MS are based not so much on a long period of systematic clinical research, but on professional consensus of international expert associations, in particular, the International pediatric multiple sclerosis study group (IPMSSG). The clinical trials include the small number of patients which is not comparable to those conducted in adults. Therefore, there is a need for study designs for assessment of efficacy and safety of the drugs for MS treatment in children and adolescents. The authors present the IPMSSG concept on the treatment of pediatric MS taking into account peculiarities of the Russian legislation and experience of national experts.