The incidence and prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of multiple sclerosis in China: a narrative review

Abstract

In 2018, the first list of rare diseases was published by the National Health Council of China, and multiple sclerosis (MS) was included in this list. Since then, the Chinese government and neurologists have made efforts to improve the clinical outcomes of patients with MS. During last few years, the incidence of MS in China was also investigated. The early and accurate diagnosis of MS was improved due to the application and promotion of magnetic resonance imaging and new diagnosis criteria. The market for and medical insurance access to disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) has been greatly accelerated, which has provided more treatment options and improved clinical outcomes for patients with MS, as well as reduced treatment cost. The pattern of MS in China is gradually changing, from delayed to early diagnosis, and from no treatment to treatment with DMTs during remission. This narrative review aimed to summarize an update to the status of MS in China, including incidence and prevalence, diagnosis, and available treatments. This would help to better understand the diagnosis and treatment gap between mainland China and other Asian regions, demonstrating the necessity of accurate diagnosis and optimized treatment of MS in China.

Keywords: China; DMT availability; Delayed diagnosis; Incidence and prevalence; Multiple sclerosis.

Fig. 1

The number of DMTs approved by FDA, EMA, and NMPA. DMT, disease-modified therapy; EMA, European Medicines Agency; FDA, US Food and Drug Administration; NMPA, China’s National Medical Products Administration