SEATTLE, May 1 -- An investigational drug for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis showed better efficacy than interferon-beta1a (Avonex) in a head-to-head trial, it was reported here.

Patients taking 0.5 mg/day of fingolimod, an oral agent also known as FTY720, in a randomized one-year trial had half the annualized relapse rate of those taking interferon-beta1a, said Jeffrey Cohen, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic.

Speaking to a packed ballroom at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting, Dr. Cohen reported that the annualized relapse rate with fingolimod was 0.16 per year, compared with 0.33 (P<0 data-blogger-escaped-.001="" data-blogger-escaped-30="" data-blogger-escaped-at="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-for="" data-blogger-escaped-interferon-beta1a="" data-blogger-escaped-mcg="" data-blogger-escaped-week.="">
Moreover, 83% of patients taking 0.5 mg of fingolimod remained relapse-free during treatment, versus 69% of the interferon patients (P<0 data-blogger-escaped-.0001="" data-blogger-escaped-br="">
"The study met its primary endpoint and demonstrated superiority of fingolimod over interferon-beta1a," Dr. Cohen said.

A higher dose of fingolimod, 1.25 mg/day, was also tested in the 1,292-patient study. Its efficacy was no better than the lower dose -- somewhat less impressive, in fact, by some measures, including annualized relapse rate -- and was associated with more adverse events, Dr. Cohen reported.

Fingolimod, a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator, had been tested earlier in placebo-controlled phase III studies. (See AAN: Promising Long-Term Results for Oral MS Drug) .......full report in MedPage Today

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