ICER reviewing drugs for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

4 July 2016

The US not-for-profit organization the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has posted a draft scoping document which will inform a report on drug therapies for treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

The document was developed with input from key stakeholders, including relevant patient organizations, clinical experts, and manufacturers of the drugs under study. The document will be open to public comment for two weeks, until July 15. The scoping document will inform the development of a report evaluating the comparative clinical effectiveness and value of drug therapies for RRMS. The drugs to be reviewed in the report include:

Platform agents: interferon beta-1a, peginterferon beta-1a, interferon beta-1b, glatiramer acetate

Stakeholders indicated greatest interest in a comparison of Avonex(from Biogen [Nasdaq: BIIB]) and Rebif (EMD Serono, a unit of Merck KGaA [MRK: DE]), two competing formulations of interferon beta-1a. As a result, ICER will perform a detailed comparison of the two agents and will summarize the existing literature on other platform agents.

Oral agents:

dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera, from Biogen)
fingolimod (Gilenya, from Novartis [NOVN: VX]),
teriflunomide (Aubagio, Sanofi [Euronext: SAN])

Other injectable or infused MS agents:

alemtuzumab (Lemtrada, from Sanofi)
daclizumab (Zinbryta, from Biogen and AbbVie [NYSE: ABBV])
natalizumab (Tysabri, from Biogen)
ocrelizumab (Ocrevus, from Roche [ROG: SIX]/Genentech)
rituximab (Rituxan, Roche/Genentech)

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