Comparison of fingolimod with interferon beta-1a in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a randomised extension of the TRANSFORMS study

• Published in: Lancet neurology 2011-06, Vol.10 (6), p.520-529
• Main Authors: Khatri, Bhupendra, Dr, Barkhof, Frederik, MD, Comi, Giancarlo, MD, Hartung, Hans-Peter, MD, Kappos, Ludwig, MD, Montalban, Xavier, MD, Pelletier, Jean, MD, Stites, Tracy, PhD, Wu, Stacy, MD, Holdbrook, Fred, PhD, Zhang-Auberson, Lixin, MD, Francis, Gordon, MD, Cohen, Jeffrey A, MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjuvants, Immunologic - therapeutic use; Adolescent; Adult; alpha -Interferon; Drugs; Female; Fingolimod Hydrochloride; Gadolinium; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Injections, Intramuscular; Interferon; Interferon beta-1a; Interferon-beta - therapeutic use; Magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - drug therapy; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - pathology; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - physiopathology; Neurology; Propylene Glycols - therapeutic use; Sphingosine - analogs & derivatives; Sphingosine - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1474-4422; 1474-4465
• DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70099-0

Summary Background In a 12-month phase 3 study in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), TRANSFORMS, fingolimod showed greater efficacy on relapse rates and MRI outcomes compared with interferon beta-1a. We had two aims in our extension: to compare year 2 with year 1 in the switched patients to assess the effect of a change from interferon beta-1a to fingolimod, and to compare over 24 months the treatment groups as originally randomised to assess the effect of delaying the start of treatment with fingolimod. Methods Patients randomly assigned to receive 0·5 mg or 1·25 mg daily oral fingolimod in the core study continued with the same treatment in our extension; patients who originally received 30 μg weekly intramuscular interferon beta-1a were randomly reassigned (1:1) to receive either 0·5 mg or 1·25 mg fingolimod. The initial randomisation and dose of fingolimod assigned for the extension remained masked to the patients and investigators. As in the core study, re-randomisation was done centrally in blocks of six and stratified according to site. Our efficacy endpoints were annualised relapse rate (ARR), disability progression, and MRI outcomes. Our within-group analyses were based on the intention-to-treat and safety populations that entered our extension study. Our between-group analyses were based on the intention-to-treat and safety populations from the core study. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT00340834. Findings 1027 patients entered our extension and received the study drug, and 882 completed 24 months of treatment. Patients receiving continuous fingolimod showed persistent benefits in ARR (0·5 mg fingolimod [n=356], 0·12 [95% CI 0·08–0·17] in months 0–12 vs 0·11 [0·08–0·16] in months 13–24; 1·25 mg fingolimod [n=330], 0·15 [0·10–0·21] vs 0·11 [0·08–0·16]; however, in patients who initially received interferon beta-1a, ARR was lower after switching to fingolimod compared with the previous 12 months (interferon beta-1a to 0·5 mg fingolimod [n=167], 0·31 [95% CI 0·22–0·43] in months 0–12 vs 0·22 [0·15–0·31], in months 13–24 p=0·049; interferon beta-1a to 1·25 mg fingolimod [n=174], 0·29 [0·20–0·40] vs 0·18 [0·12–0·27], p=0·024). After switching to fingolimod, numbers of new or newly enlarging T2 and gadolinium (Gd)-enhancing T1 lesions were significantly reduced compared with the previous 12 months of interferon beta-1a therapy (p