Individualizing therapy for multiple sclerosis: a focus on disease-modifying drugs

SUMMARY Remarkable progress has recently been made regarding new therapies for multiple sclerosis, especially in the form of disease-modifying drugs that can be administered either intravenously or orally. However, responses to drugs, including efficacy and adverse reactions, vary considerably between individuals. Although it is preferable to predict these responses prior to commencing therapy, biomarkers and genetic factors for disease-modifying drugs are not available for routine clinical use. Newer techniques and methods of analysis will result in improved screening of individual benefit/risk balances for multiple sclerosis treatments.