Adherence to disease-modifying therapies in spanish patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis: two-year interim results of the global adherence project

Eur Neurol. 2011;65(2):59-67. doi: 10.1159/000323216. Epub 2011 Jan 4.

Abstract

The post-marketing international Global Adherence Project investigated adherence to disease-modifying therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. We report adherence data from the first 2 years in the Spanish subset of patients (n = 254 at baseline). The overall adherence rate was 85.4%. Patients taking intramuscular (IM) interferon-β (IFNβ)-1a were significantly more adherent (96.4%) compared with patients taking subcutaneous (SC) IFNβ-1a 22 μg (79.1%; p = 0.0064), SC IFNβ-1a 44 μg (79.6%; p = 0.0064) and glatiramer acetate (82.7%; p = 0.0184). At year 1 (n = 142), the overall adherence rate was 86.6%. Patients on IM IFNβ-1a were significantly more adherent than patients on SC IFNβ-1a 22 μg (93.9 vs. 66.7%; p = 0.0251). At year 2 (n = 131), the overall adherence rate was 82% (87.5% for IM IFNβ-1a, 80.0% for SC IFNβ-1a 22 μg, 77.8% for SC IFNβ-1a 44 μg, 85.2% for IFNβ-1b, and 80.0% for glatiramer acetate). In conclusion, adherence remained high among all disease-modifying therapies over the first 2 years of the study and was significantly higher for IM IFNβ-1a, at visit 1, compared with SC IFNβ-1a.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Glatiramer Acetate
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / administration & dosage*
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use
  • Injections, Intramuscular
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Interferon-beta / administration & dosage*
  • Interferon-beta / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Medication Adherence / statistics & numerical data*
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / drug therapy*
  • Peptides
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Spain

Substances

  • Immunologic Factors
  • Peptides
  • Glatiramer Acetate
  • Interferon-beta