Western vs optic-spinal MS

In the current issue of Neurology , Saida et al.1 report the results of a randomized, controlled study of two doses of interferon beta-1b in Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study demonstrated superiority of the higher dose, consistent with the results seen in the North American study.2 Unlike the North American study, the study was not placebo-controlled. However, it was conducted between 1995 and 1999, well after the positive results of the North American interferon beta-1b study were announced, and the investigators believed that it would be unethical to conduct a placebo-controlled study. The efficacy of interferon beta in relapsing remitting patients with MS is well established. What does the current study add? This is the first study of interferon beta treatment from Asia. Ethnic differences are often associated with genetic variations; pharmacogenetic studies addressing responsiveness to interferon beta therapy are in their infancy, but …