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Review
. 2017 Mar;31(3):217-236.
doi: 10.1007/s40263-017-0412-5.

Outcome Measures in Clinical Trials for Multiple Sclerosis

Caspar E P van Munster  1 , Bernard M J Uitdehaag  2
Affiliations
Review

Outcome Measures in Clinical Trials for Multiple Sclerosis

Caspar E P van Munster et al. CNS Drugs. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

Due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease, it is a challenge to capture disease activity of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a reliable and valid way. Therefore, it can be difficult to assess the true efficacy of interventions in clinical trials. In phase III trials in MS, the traditionally used primary clinical outcome measures are the Expanded Disability Status Scale and the relapse rate. Secondary outcome measures in these trials are the number or volume of T2 hyperintense lesions and gadolinium-enhancing T1 lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. These secondary outcome measures are often primary outcome measures in phase II trials in MS. Despite several limitations, the traditional clinical measures are still the mainstay for assessing treatment efficacy. Newer and potentially valuable outcome measures increasingly used or explored in MS trials are, clinically, the MS Functional Composite and patient-reported outcome measures, and on MRI, brain atrophy and the formation of persisting black holes. Several limitations of these measures have been addressed and further improvements will probably be proposed. Major improvements are the coverage of additional functional domains such as cognitive functioning and assessment of the ability to carry out activities of daily living. The development of multidimensional measures is promising because these measures have the potential to cover the full extent of MS activity and progression. In this review, we provide an overview of the historical background and recent developments of outcome measures in MS trials. We discuss the advantages and limitations of various measures, including newer assessments such as optical coherence tomography, biomarkers in body fluids and the concept of 'no evidence of disease activity'.

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Conflict of interest statement

Funding

No funding was received for the preparation of this review. Open access was funded by the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, as part of the COMPACT agreement between Springer and the Association of Dutch Universities and Academy Institutes.

Conflicts of interest

CEPvM has received travel support from Novartis Pharma AG, Sanofi Genzyme and Teva Pharmaceuticals, and honoraria for lecturing and consulting from Biogen-Idec and Merck Serono. BMJU has received consultation fees from Biogen-Idec, Novartis Pharma AG, EMD Serono, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Genzyme and Roche. The Multiple Sclerosis Centre Amsterdam has received financial support for research from Biogen-Idec, Merck Serono, Novartis Pharma AG, and Teva Pharmaceuticals.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic representation of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) depicting the factors that determine overall score; the graph shows the distribution of patients over the EDSS [7]. MS multiple sclerosis
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Schematic representation of the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) with candidate components
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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