Adherence to glatiramer acetate treatment for multiple sclerosis: the Brazilian experience

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease characterized by demyelination and neurodegeneration of the central nervous system. Immunomodulatory treatment is possible at an early stage of the disease, and consists of injections of either beta-interferon or glatiramer acetate. The drugs are not curative, and the need for frequent injections may give rise to a serious problem regarding adherence to treatment. The present study analyzed the database of all Brazilian patients using glatiramer acetate between June 2003 and December 2006 who had enrolled in the patient program run by the pharmaceutical company commercializing the drug. The rate of treatment discontinuation was 10% over this period, and the main reason for suspending the drug was medical decisions (47% of all discontinuations), rather than side effects or the patient's choice. The present work did not take into consideration the regularity of injections and the main objective was to assess discontinuation. It was concluded that adequate healthcare, education, and a specifi c program for patients were the factors responsible for this 90% adherence to glatiramer acetate treatment in Brazil.

Treatment discontinuation in multiple sclerosis: The French Web-based survey ALLIANCE

“… 1 , 6 Prescribed MS treatments should be maintained over a long period of time to reduce the frequency of relapses, which is a difficult target to assess for patients. 25 Patients may question the relevance of the therapeutic process and the threat posed by the disease. Among the factors explaining the adherence levels, Stanton 26 outlined the quality of the patient-physician relationship and information, as well as patients’ beliefs (about the disease and treatment), sense of control and perception of social support.…”