Contributions
Abstract: P658
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Therapy - disease modifying - Immunomodulation/Immunosuppression
Introduction: Tolerability of disease modifying treatments (DMT) can be challenging for treatment-naïve (TN) Multiple-Sclerosis (MS) patients. In comparison, previously-treated (PT) MS patients with prior experience on a DMT may have different tolerability thresholds upon switching to a new therapy.
Objective: To assess the Real-World tolerability of Teriflunomide in the MS patients of a large Canadian MS Centre of Care in order to determine whether PT patients have different tolerability thresholds compared to TN patients thereby leading to differing discontinuation rates.
Design and methods: This was a non-interventional, single-centre, retrospective chart review looking at all patients who had been prescribed commercial teriflunomide until May 2015.
Results: 119 patient charts were reviewed. There were 29 TN patients (mean disease duration 6.3 years) and 90 PT patients (mean disease duration 12 years). Overall, 19 patients (15.9%) discontinued Teriflunomide after a mean treatment duration of 35 weeks. The most common reason for discontinuation was side effects in 8 patients (42%), followed by breakthrough disease activity needing escalation to second line DMT in 6 patients (31%, all PT) and, finally, patient choice in 5 patients (27%). Discontinuation due to tolerability alone occurred in 13 patients; 1 from the TN group and 12 from the PT group. The number of discontinuations was not sufficient to show a statistically significant difference between TN patients and PT patients (p=0.1).
Conclusions: The retrospective chart review of this Canadian dataset provides some evidence about the Real-World tolerability of teriflunomide. Discontinuations were low overall and in line with what has been reported in clinical trial data. There was no significant difference in discontinuation rates between the patients in the TN and PT groups. Only 6 of 119 (5%) patients overall discontinued treatment due to breakthrough disease activity and all were from the PT group [almost 6% in the TEMSO] extension who had a disease duration nearly twice that of the NT group. In our opinion, Teriflunomide is the safest and best tolerated oral alternative to the injectable therapies.
Disclosure: Hind Alnajashi: Receipt of educational grants from Genzyme.
Foziah Alshemrani: has nothing to disclose.
Mark Freedamn:
Receipt of honoraria or consultation fees:
Actelion, BayerHealthcare, BiogenIdec, Chugai, EMD Canada, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Novartis, Hoffman La-Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Teva Canada Innovation
Member of a company advisory board, board of directors or other similar group:
Actelion, BayerHealthcare, BiogenIdec, Hoffman La-Roche, Merck Serono, Novartis, Opexa, Sanofi-Aventis
Participation in a company sponsored speaker"s bureau:
Genzyme
Abstract: P658
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Therapy - disease modifying - Immunomodulation/Immunosuppression
Introduction: Tolerability of disease modifying treatments (DMT) can be challenging for treatment-naïve (TN) Multiple-Sclerosis (MS) patients. In comparison, previously-treated (PT) MS patients with prior experience on a DMT may have different tolerability thresholds upon switching to a new therapy.
Objective: To assess the Real-World tolerability of Teriflunomide in the MS patients of a large Canadian MS Centre of Care in order to determine whether PT patients have different tolerability thresholds compared to TN patients thereby leading to differing discontinuation rates.
Design and methods: This was a non-interventional, single-centre, retrospective chart review looking at all patients who had been prescribed commercial teriflunomide until May 2015.
Results: 119 patient charts were reviewed. There were 29 TN patients (mean disease duration 6.3 years) and 90 PT patients (mean disease duration 12 years). Overall, 19 patients (15.9%) discontinued Teriflunomide after a mean treatment duration of 35 weeks. The most common reason for discontinuation was side effects in 8 patients (42%), followed by breakthrough disease activity needing escalation to second line DMT in 6 patients (31%, all PT) and, finally, patient choice in 5 patients (27%). Discontinuation due to tolerability alone occurred in 13 patients; 1 from the TN group and 12 from the PT group. The number of discontinuations was not sufficient to show a statistically significant difference between TN patients and PT patients (p=0.1).
Conclusions: The retrospective chart review of this Canadian dataset provides some evidence about the Real-World tolerability of teriflunomide. Discontinuations were low overall and in line with what has been reported in clinical trial data. There was no significant difference in discontinuation rates between the patients in the TN and PT groups. Only 6 of 119 (5%) patients overall discontinued treatment due to breakthrough disease activity and all were from the PT group [almost 6% in the TEMSO] extension who had a disease duration nearly twice that of the NT group. In our opinion, Teriflunomide is the safest and best tolerated oral alternative to the injectable therapies.
Disclosure: Hind Alnajashi: Receipt of educational grants from Genzyme.
Foziah Alshemrani: has nothing to disclose.
Mark Freedamn:
Receipt of honoraria or consultation fees:
Actelion, BayerHealthcare, BiogenIdec, Chugai, EMD Canada, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Novartis, Hoffman La-Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Teva Canada Innovation
Member of a company advisory board, board of directors or other similar group:
Actelion, BayerHealthcare, BiogenIdec, Hoffman La-Roche, Merck Serono, Novartis, Opexa, Sanofi-Aventis
Participation in a company sponsored speaker"s bureau:
Genzyme