MSC Publishes Professional Consensus Paper on DMTs
Experts from member organizations of the Multiple Sclerosis Coalition (MSC), including the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA), collaborated to develop and write a paper summarizing the current evidence that supports the FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for the long-term treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). 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.
Once a draft was prepared, nine top MS professionals from outside of the Coalition were consulted to review the paper, which was then reviewed by 32 experts from the Coalition’s member organizations. The final paper was endorsed by all eight Coalition members, and subsequently by Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS).
This professional paper, titled “The Use of Disease-Modifying Therapies in Multiple Sclerosis: Principles and Current Evidence,” is available on the MSC’s website for anyone to review. It has been written expressly for medical professionals, in a highly detailed and scientific style, and will be distributed to thousands of MS professionals at the upcoming 2014 Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting taking place this September in Boston. A layperson’s version of the paper, which will provide a direct interpretation of this information, is in development and will be available this fall. 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.
