More MS news articles for Jan 2002

An open-label trial of combination therapy with interferon ß-1a and oral methotrexate in MS

http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/58/2/314

Neurology 2002;58:314-317
P. A. Calabresi, MD, J. L. Wilterdink, MD, J. M. Rogg, MD, P. Mills, RN, A. Webb and K. A. Whartenby, PhD
From the Department of Neurology (Dr. Calabresi), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; and Departments of Clinical Neurosciences (Drs. Calabresi, Wilterdink, and Whartenby, and P. Mills and A. Webb) and Radiology (Dr. Rogg), Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI.

An open-label study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combination therapy with weekly oral methotrexate (20 mg) and interferon ß-1a (IFNß-1a) in 15 patients with MS who had experienced exacerbations while receiving IFNß monotherapy.

Nausea was the only major side effect.

A 44% reduction in the number of gadolinium-enhanced lesions seen on MRI scan was observed during combination therapy (p = 0.02).

There was a trend toward fewer exacerbations.

This combination therapy appears to be safe and well tolerated, and should be studied in a controlled trial.