Should be stored in a refrigerator . Extremes in temperature and exposure to ligth should be avoided
Should be used with caution in patients with prior seizure disorder, liver disease, ongoing depression or concomitantly with other potentially liver toxic therapies
Injection site reaction will occur in 85% of patients. Injection site necrosis (5%) tend to occur early within the first 2-3 months of initiating therapy and rarrely extends to subcutanous fat or fascia.
Serum neutralizing antibodies (Nabs) were reported to develop in 23 to 41% of patients. Nabs tend to occur by the end of the first year of treatment. Over the subsequent 5 year observation period, approximately 50% of these patients will revert to being Nabs negative. Nabs however have been shown, during the period of Nab positivity to impact clinical efficacy and MRI measures.
59% of the original 468 patients were recruited. At year 11, 67% were on a DMT and more specifically only 30% were on Betaseron. No significant difference was found between early and late treatment groups with regards to EDSS, SPMS conversion rate and MRI outcomes.