Efficient use of MRI for dose finding in multiple sclerosis

摘要

Although the exact cause of multiple sclerosis remains to be established, increasingly effective drugs that act by changing or suppressing the immune system strongly support the idea that multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease. Sparked by the initial success of partly effective drugs such as interferon beta and glatiramer acetate, many new drugs targeting the immune system have been developed in the past decade for multiple sclerosis. On the positive side, such rapid development yields new treatment options, including several new oral drugs and also biosimilars of existing drugs and other follow.up compounds. On the negative side, a surfeit of drugs makes it increasingly difficult to test new drugs in an environment with fierce competition for financial resources and available populations of patients. Recent trials, especially when placebo.controlled, are increasingly done outside of North America and western Europe. In view of the growing competition and restricted number of patient.years to assess, a pressure exists to shorten the development trajectory of new drugs.