Induction vs. escalation of therapy for relapsing multiple sclerosis: the evidence.

Not all patients presenting with their first attack of multiple sclerosis (MS) or early thereafter are necessarily in the same phase of disease; some truly present early with minimal disease, whereas others present late, having accumulated already considerable damage to the central nervous system (CNS). This beckons a different approach to therapy depending on "where" a patient may be in the course of disease. If early, then any of the current first line immunomodulating agents may be appropriate, whereas later disease calls for a more aggressive approach entailing either induction with a more powerful but riskier treatment or an escalation approach, moving through first line agents and stepping up to more aggressive treatments. This paper discusses the rationale for either regimen.