Frontiers in Neurology (May 2013)

HOW DOES FINGOLIMOD (GILENYA®) FIT IN THE TREATMENT ALGORITHM FOR HIGHLY ACTIVE RELAPSING-REMITTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS?

  • Franz eFazekas,
  • Ovidiu eBajenaru,
  • Thomas eBerger,
  • Tanja eHojs Fabjan,
  • Alenka eHorvat Ledinek,
  • Gábor eJakab,
  • Samuel eKomoly,
  • Tetiana eKobys,
  • Jörg eKraus,
  • Egon eKurča,
  • Theodore eKyriakides,
  • Lubomír eLisý,
  • Ivan eMilanov,
  • Sergii eMoskovko,
  • Tetyana eNehrych,
  • Panayiotis ePanayiotou,
  • Sasa eSega Jazbec,
  • Larysa eSokolova,
  • Radomir eTalab,
  • Latchezar eTraykov,
  • Peter eTurčáni,
  • Karl eVass,
  • Norbert eVella,
  • Nataliya eVoloshyna,
  • Eva eHavrdova

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2013.00010
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4

Abstract

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disorder characterised by inflammatory demyelination and neurodegeneration in the central nervous system (CNS). Until recently, disease modifying treatment was based on agents requiring parenteral delivery, thus limiting long-term compliance. Basic treatments such as beta-interferon provide only moderate efficacy, and although therapies for second-line treatment and highly active MS are more effective, they are associated with potentially severe side effects. Fingolimod (Gilenya®) is the first oral treatment of MS and has recently been approved as single disease-modifying therapy in highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) for adult patients with high disease activity despite basic treatment (beta-interferon) and for treatment-naïve patients with rapidly evolving severe RRMS. At a scientific meeting that took place in Vienna on November 18th, 2011, experts from 10 Central and Eastern European countries discussed the clinical benefits and potential risks of fingolimod for MS, suggested how the new therapy fits within the current treatment algorithm and provided expert opinion for the selection and management of patients.

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