Evaluation of the use of high-efficacy treatments (HETs) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in Argentina.

BACKGROUND

Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in multiple sclerosis (MS) can be classified according to the efficacy in which they prevent inflammatory activity. To date, there are limited data regarding the use of high-efficacy treatments (HETs) in Latin America (LATAM). We aimed to analyze the use of HETs in Argentina, focusing on the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of the patients who use these treatments and the changes in the trend of use over the years.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was done using the Argentina MS patient registry, RelevarEM. Patients diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) according to validated diagnostic criteria and under treatment with natalizumab, alemtuzumab, cladribine, rituximab or ocrelizumab were included.

RESULTS

Out of 2450 RRMS patients under a DMT, 462 (19%) were on HETs. One third of those patients (35%) received HETs as the first treatment. The most frequent reason for switching to HETs was treatment failure to previous DMT (77%). The time from MS diagnosis to the first HET in treatment-naive patients was less than one year (IQR: 0-1 year) and in treatment-experienced patients it was 5 years (IQR: 3-9 years). Between 2015 and 2017 (P1), 729 patients included in RelevarEM started a new treatment, of which 85 (11.65%) were HETs. Between 2018 and 2020 (P2), 961 patients included in RelevarEM started a new treatment, of which 284 (29.55%) were HETs. When comparing P2 with P1, a significant increase in the use of HETs was observed (p < 0.01). The most frequently used HETs were alemtuzumab (50.59%) in P1, and cladribine (45.20%) in P2.

CONCLUSION

The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients under HET in Argentina were identified. Based on a real-world setting, we found a significant trend towards and a rapid increase in the use of HETs in clinical practice in patients with RRMS.