Glatiramer acetate treatment in PPMS: why males appear to respond favorably.

Abstract

In a large multicenter randomized, and double blind placebo controlled trial of glatiramer acetate (GA) in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), an originally unplanned post hoc analysis suggested that males assigned to GA therapy experienced less progression of disability than their counterparts assigned to placebo; no similar potential treatment differences were seen among the females in this study. In this report we further explore the data from that trial in an attempt to determine if this outcome could have been the expression of a gender dependant treatment effect. The analyses conducted do not support a treatment by gender interaction for GA in either PPMS or relapsing forms of MS. Nor could we find consistent precedence in the literature for important effects of gender on outcome, recognizing that such effects have not always been carefully sought. It remains reasonable to consider that there exist differences in the rates of clinical disease progression between men and women with MS that should be better studied.

• Authors: Jerry S Wolinsky, Tzippy Shochat, Sivan Weiss, David Ladkani, PROMiSe Trial Study Group
• Journal: Journal of the neurological sciences (J Neurol Sci) Vol. 286 Issue 1-2 Pg. 92-8 (Nov 15 2009) ISSN: 1878-5883 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 19426995 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Immunosuppressive Agents
• Peptides
• Glatiramer Acetate

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Analysis of Variance
• Disability Evaluation
• Double-Blind Method
• Female
• Glatiramer Acetate
• Humans
• Immunosuppressive Agents (therapeutic use)
• Longitudinal Studies
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (methods)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive (drug therapy, pathology)
• Peptides (therapeutic use)
• Probability
• Severity of Illness Index
• Sex Factors
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome