trials of interferon beta-1b
Last reviewed 01/2018
The first trials of interferon in multiple sclerosis used recombinant interferon beta-1b.
Interferon beta-1b differs from the human cytokine in two ways:
- has an aminoacid substitution at one position
- is non-glycosylated
Patients treated with the high dose of 8 MIU subcutanesouly on alternate days had the following significant benefits:
- 34% reduction in the relapse rate
- marked reduction in disease burden as assessed by T2-weighted MRI imaging after two years
The trials with interferon beta-1b did not show a significant reduction in accumulated disability.