Introduction
Methods
Pooled Data From sc IFN-β1a Clinical Trials
Study number, acronym | Design | Placebo arm | sc IFN-β1a | Study duration | No. pts. treated (placeboa/sc IFN-β1a) | MS subtype |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Data on file, Merck KGaA Study 6613 | Randomized, open-label study with 6 months untreated lead-in followed by 6 months of treatment | No | sc IFN-β1a 11 µg or 33 µg tiw | 1 year | 0/68 | RRMS |
Data on file, Merck KGaA Study 8000 Extension | Extension study of 6613 | No | sc IFN-β1a 11 µg or 33 µg tiw | 18 months | RRMS | |
7480 ETOMS [26] | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled | Yes | sc IFN-β1a 22 µg qw | 2 years; 2-year extensions | 154/154 | CIS |
6789 PRISMS [18] | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled | Yes, option to switch | sc IFN-β1a 22 µg or 44 µg tiw | 2 years | 187/373 | RRMS |
22930 Long-term follow-up (LTFU) of study 6789 (PRISMS) [27] | Open-label, single visit between year 8 and 9 of original treatment in PRISMS | No, switch from 6789 | Any commercial treatment or off treatment at LTFU visit | 8-year extension | RRMS | |
7999 OWIMS [28] | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled | Yes | sc IFN-β1a 22 µg or 44 µg qw | 48 weeks; 2-year extension | 100/193 | RRMS |
6954 SPECTRIMS [29] | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled | Yes | sc IFN-β1a 22 µg or 44 µg tiw | 3 years; 3-year extension | 205/413 | SPMS |
6976 Nordic SPMS [30] | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled | Yes, switch to 22 µg | sc IFN-β1a 22 µg | 3 years, 1-year extension; 44 µg tiw offered to all extension II (no data from II) | 178/186 | SPMS |
21125 EVIDENCE [31] | Randomized, open-label, assessor-blinded, parallel-group study, comparativeb | No | sc IFN-β1a 44 µg tiw | 48 weeks; extension (up to 45 weeks post-transition) | 0/339 | RRMS |
24735 REGARD [32] | Randomized, open-label, parallel-group study, comparativec | No | sc IFN-β1a 44 µg tiw | 96 weeks | 0/383 | RRMS |
Rebif® New Clone (484-39)–/Rebif® New Formulation (RNF; HSA-free formulation) | ||||||
24810, r-hIFN Beta-1a (Rebif®) Using Clone 484-39 EMEA NABs (NCT00367484) | Single-arm, open-label | No | sc IFN-β1a 22 µg or 44 µg tiw | 48 weeks | 0/460 | RRMS |
25632 The RNF Study [33] | Single-arm, open-label, historical comparison | No | sc IFN-β1a 44 µg tiw | 96 weeks | 0/260 | RRMS |
27025 REFLEX [21] | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled | Yes | sc IFN-β1a 44 µg tiw or sc IFN-β1a 44 µg ow | 24 months | 171/344 | CIS |
28981 REFLEXION [34] | Double-blind, extension study to 27025 | Yes, option for switch | sc IFN-β1a 44 µg tiw or sc IFN-β1a 44 µg ow | 36 months (total 60 months of observation since randomization into REFLEX) | CIS | |
27178 IMPROVE [35] | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled | Yes | sc IFN-β1a 44 µg tiw | 16 weeks, 24-week extension | 60/120 | RRMS |
27571 TRANSFER [36] | Randomized, two-arm, open-label | No | sc IFN-β1a 44 µg tiw (RNF vs. original formulation) | 4 weeks, 4-week safety follow-up (Rebif® HSA-free formulation continued), and long-term extension (until commercial availability of Rebif® HSA-free formulation) | 0/116 | RRMS |
28733 RebiSmart™ [37] | Single-arm, open-label | No | RNF 44 µg tiw (e-device) | 12 weeks | 0/106 | RRMS |
Cohort A (sc IFN-β1a only; n = 3515) | Cohort B (placebo only; n = 158) | Cohort C (placebo then sc IFN-β1a; n = 897) | |
---|---|---|---|
Female, n (%) | 2408 (68.5) | 105 (66.5) | 595 (66.3) |
Age, years | 36.92 ± 9.34 | 36.53 ± 10.12 | 36.82 ± 9.86 |
MS disease duration, years | 7.31 ± 7.00 | 7.30 ± 8.48 | 7.31 ± 7.61 |
sc IFN-β1a dose, n (%) | |||
44 µg tiw | 2343 (66.7) | NA | 471 (52.5) |
sc IFN-β1a treatment duration, n (%) | |||
< 2 years | 1991 (56.6) | NA | 493 (55.0) |
≥ 2 years | 1524 (43.4) | NA | 404 (45.0) |
Placebo treatment duration, n (%) | |||
< 2 years | NA | 107 (67.7) | 445 (49.6) |
≥ 2 years | NA | 51 (32.3) | 452 (50.4) |
Baseline comorbidities, n (%) | |||
Hypertension | 188 (5.3) | 6 (3.8) | 30 (3.3) |
Diabetes mellitus | 21 (0.6) | 1 (0.6) | 5 (0.6) |
Cardiovascular disorder | 1 (0.0) | 0 | 0 |
Obesity | 62 (1.8) | 2 (1.3) | 7 (0.8) |
Atrial fibrillation | 2 (0.1) | 0 | 0 |
Carotid artery disease | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Peripheral artery disease | 22 (0.6) | 0 | 6 (0.7) |
Myocardial ischemia | 2 (0.1) | 0 | 1 (0.1) |
Cardiac failure | 0 | 1 (0.6) | 1 (0.1) |
Cardiac and vascular disorders congenital | 15 (0.4) | 0 | 2 (0.2) |
Cardiac valve disorders | 32 (0.9) | 0 | 2 (0.2) |
Prior stroke | 42 (1.2) | 3 (1.9) | 20 (2.2) |
Data From the Merck Safety Database in the Post-Marketing Setting
Results
Phase II–IV Merck KGaA-Sponsored Trials
Total exposure to treatment (PY) | Number of patients with events | Adjusted IR per 100 PY (95% CI) | Adjusted IRR (95% CI) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | ||||
Any placebo | 2005 | 11 | 0.051 (0.008, 0.349) | 0.486 (0.238, 0.995) |
Any sc IFN-β1a | 10621.9 | 25 | 0.025 (0.004, 0.150) | |
< 2 years | ||||
Any placebo | 686.8 | 3 | 0.127 (0.008, 2.088) | 0.602 (0.159, 2.277) |
Any sc IFN-β1a | 2849.6 | 9 | 0.076 (0.005, 1.222) | |
≥ 2 years | ||||
Any placebo | 1318.1 | 8 | 0.020 (0.002, 0.278) | 0.469 (0.196, 1.124) |
Any sc IFN-β1a | 7772.3 | 16 | 0.010 (0.001, 0.104) | |
44 µg tiw | 5693.3 | 12 | 0.024 (0.004, 0.151) | 0.436 (0.190, 0.998) |
Merck Safety Database
Preferred term | Serious | Non-serious | Total | Reporting ratea | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Medically confirmed | Total | Medically confirmed | Total | |||||
Yes | No | Yes | No | |||||
Total | 375 | 970 | 1345 | 46 | 648 | 694 | 2039 | 13.286 |
Hemiparesis | 54 | 176 | 230 | 46 | 617 | 663 | 893 | 5.819 |
Cerebrovascular accident | 133 | 436 | 569 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 569 | 3.708 |
Transient ischemic attack | 28 | 127 | 155 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 156 | 1.017 |
Hemiplegia | 13 | 48 | 61 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 91 | 0.593 |
Cerebral hemorrhage | 33 | 52 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 0.554 |