Switching to second line MS disease-modifying therapies is associated with decreased relapse rate

While randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for determining treatment efficacy, they do not capture the effectiveness of treatment during real-world use. We aimed to evaluate the association between demographics and multiple sclerosis (MS) disease-modifying therapy (DMT) exposure, including treatment adherence and switches between different DMTs, on the risk of subsequent MS relapse.

All persons with relapsing-onset MS (pwRMS) living in Manitoba between 1999 and 2014 were identified from provincial healthcare databases using a validated case definition. Use of DMTs was abstracted from the provincial drug database covering all residents of Manitoba, including use of any DMT, stopping/starting any DMT, switches between different DMTs and adherence as defined by cumulative medication possession ratios (CUMMPRs) of 50, 70, 80 and 90%. Time to first-treated relapse was used as the outcome of interest in logistic regression and Cox-proportional hazards regression models adjusting for demographic covariates including age and year of diagnosis, sex, socioeconomic status and number of medical comorbidities.

1780 pwRMS were identified, including 1,510 who were on DMT at some point in the study period. While total DMT exposure was not associated with the time to subsequent treated relapse, individuals who switched between more than 2 DMTs had higher post-switch rates of relapse. Switching to second-line DMTs was associated with a longer time to treated relapse in comparison to those who remained on a first-line DMT (HR 0.44; 95%CI: 0.32-0.62, p < 0.0001).

Switching to high-efficacy DMTs reduces the rates of subsequent MS relapse at the population level.