MSC Publishes Summary Paper on DMTs
On August 20, 2014, MSAA posted a news item announcing that the Multiple Sclerosis Coalition (MSC) had published a paper detailing the current evidence that supports the FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for the long-term treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Experts from member organizations of the MSC, including the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA), collaborated to write this paper expressly for healthcare providers and the health-insurance industry, using a highly detailed and scientific style. The primary goal of developing this paper is to promote early and ongoing access to all of the presently approved DMTs for individuals with MS.
Since the release of the professional paper, member organizations of the MSC have collaborated to develop a summary, written in a more reader-friendly style to better serve the broader MS community. This paper is posted on the MSC’s website and is titled, “The Use of Disease-Modifying Therapies in Multiple Sclerosis: Principles and Current Evidence; SUMMARY.”
This summary directly correlates to the different sections found within the professional version, but has simplified the information to highlight main points and incorporate more commonly used terminology. In addition, the summary is followed by an extensive glossary to assist with those terms specific to describing the MS process.
This professional paper, titled “The Use of Disease-Modifying Therapies in Multiple Sclerosis: Principles and Current Evidence,” is also available on the MSC’s website for anyone to review. It has been written expressly for medical professionals and was distributed to thousands of MS professionals at the recent 2014 Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting in Boston.
The objectives were to provide evidence for the effectiveness of these medications and to provide support for broad access to these approved therapies for people with MS in the United States. Ultimately, the goal is to enable individuals with MS and their medical professionals to select the most appropriate medication available. Please note that this paper was written prior to the recent approval of Plegridy™ (peginterferon beta-1a).
About the Multiple Sclerosis Coalition
The Multiple Sclerosis Coalition (MSC) was founded in 2005 by three independent multiple sclerosis organizations in an effort to work together to benefit individuals with MS. Since that time, the MSC has grown to eight member organizations, all of whom provide critical MS programs and services. Its vision is to improve the quality of life for those affected by MS through a collaborative national network of independent MS organizations; its mission is to increase opportunities for cooperation and provide greater opportunity to leverage the effective use of resources for the benefit of the MS community.
The primary objectives of the Coalition are to educate, advocate, collaborate and improve the efficiency of services for individuals with MS and those who are close to them. With so much on the horizon in terms of MS research, treatments, advocacy and symptom management, the MSC provides critical momentum to work together to enhance these exciting MS initiatives and to ensure this collective support continues.
