Impact of prior treatment status and reasons for discontinuation on the efficacy and safety of fingolimod: Subgroup analyses of the Fingolimod Research Evaluating Effects of Daily Oral Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis (FREEDOMS) study

- Fingolimod reduced the annualized relapse rate (ARR) vs placebo after interferon beta or glatiramer acetate therapy.
- Fingolimod reduced ARR after lack of efficacy of prior disease-modifying therapy.
- Fingolimod reduced ARR in treatment-naïve patients and patients on DMT >1-3 years.

BackgroundFingolimod is a once-daily, oral sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator approved for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis.ObjectiveThis post-hoc analysis of phase 3 FREEDOMS data assessed whether the effects of fingolimod are consistent among subgroups of patients defined by prior treatment history.MethodsAnnualized relapse rate and safety profile of treatment with fingolimod 0.5 mg, 1.25 mg, or placebo once-daily for 24 months were analyzed in 1272 relapsing multiple sclerosis patients, by subgroups based on disease-modifying therapy history (treatment-naive; prior interferon-β or glatiramer acetate), reason for discontinuation of prior disease-modifying therapy (unsatisfactory therapeutic response or adverse events), and prior disease-modifying therapy duration.ResultsBoth fingolimod doses significantly reduced annualized relapse rate in patients that received prior interferon-β or glatiramer acetate, discontinued prior disease-modifying therapy owing to unsatisfactory therapeutic effect, were treatment-naive, or had prior disease-modifying therapy duration of >1-3 years (P≤0.0301 for all comparisons vs placebo). Fingolimod 1.25 mg resulted in greater reductions in annualized relapse rate in patients that discontinued prior disease-modifying therapy for adverse events or had prior disease-modifying therapy duration of ≤1 year or >3 years (P≤0.0194 vs placebo).ConclusionsFingolimod demonstrated similar efficacy in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients regardless of prior treatment history. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00289978.