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Interferon Beta and Glatiramer Acetate Therapy

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Neurotherapeutics

Abstract

Interferon beta and glatiramer acetate have been mainstays of treatment in relapsingremitting multiple sclerosis for two decades. Remarkable advances in our understanding of immune function and dysfunction as well as increasingly sophisticated clinical trial design have stemmed from efforts to better understand these drugs. In this chapter, we review the history of their development and elaborate on known and theorized mechanisms of action. We describe the pivotal clinical trials that have led to their widespread use. We evaluate the clinical use of the drugs including tolerability, side effects, and efficacy measures. Finally, we look to the future of interferon beta and glatiramer acetate in the context of an ever growing armamentarium of treatments for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

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Acknowledgments

CAM would like to acknowledge and thank the National MS Society for supporting his fellowship at the CGD Center for MS, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.

Conflicts of Interest

CAM: Consulting agreements: Biogen Idec

FDL: Sources of Funding for Research: Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.; Biogen Idec; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; Teva Neuroscience, Inc.; Genzyme; Sanofi; Celgene; NIH; NMSS Consulting Agreements/Advisory Boards/DSMB: Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals; Biogen Idec; EMD Serono, Inc.; Novartis; Pfizer; Teva Neuroscience; Actelion; Sanofi-Aventis; Acorda; Questcor; Roche, Genentech; Celgene; Johnson & Johnson; Revalesio; Coronado Bioscience, Genzyme, MedImmune; Bristol-Myers Squibb

Co-Chief Editor: Multiple Sclerosis and Related Diseases

Financial Interest: Cognition Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Full conflict of interest disclosures is available in the electronic supplementary materials for this article.

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  1. Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Division of Multiple Sclerosis, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 E 210th St, Bronx, NY, 10467, USA

    Corey A. McGraw

  2. Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 5 E 98th St #1138, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Fred D. Lublin

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  1. Corey A. McGraw
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McGraw, C.A., Lublin, F.D. Interferon Beta and Glatiramer Acetate Therapy. Neurotherapeutics 10, 2–18 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-012-0163-4

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