Mark Freedman, MD: Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients with CIS Treated with Interferon Beta-1b

At the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2019 Forum held in Dallas, Texas, Mark Freedman, MD, spoke about the first results from BENEFIT 15 and the long-term clinical outcomes in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) treated with interferon beta-1b.
BENEFIT 15 is a unique cohort with a 15-year follow-up from a clinical study of early or delayed treatment with interferon beta-1b in patients with CIS. Researchers randomly assigned patients with CIS and ≥2 MRI lesions suggestive of MS to receive interferon beta-1b or placebo. After 2 years or conversion to clinically definite MS, those on placebo were offered treatment with interferon beta-1b and 15 years after the initial randomization, all patients from participating study centers were approached to complete a comprehensive clinical and MRI reassessment. The results support a sustained benefit of early intervention with interferon beta-1b treating at or shortly after CIS in order to reduce the risk of conversion to CDMS.
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