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InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-.
In 2015, the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany) last looked into the advantages and disadvantages of fingolimod (trade name: Gilenya) compared with the standard treatments for rapidly evolving severe relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in adults. For these people, fingolimod can be used as an alternative to the standard treatments with interferon beta or glatiramer acetate.
IQWiG analyzed the data from a study involving a total of 121 patients. Half of the participants had treatment with fingolimod, while the rest used interferon beta.
What are the advantages of fingolimod?
- Relapses: The study suggests that fingolimod has an advantage here in women: Those women who used fingolimod had their first relapse later than women who received interferon beta. There was no difference between the treatments here in men.
- Flu-like symptoms: The data suggests that fingolimod has an advantage over interferon beta regarding flu-like symptoms. About 2 out of 100 people who took fingolimod had flu-like symptoms – compared to about 37 out of 100 people who took interferon beta.
What are the disadvantages of fingolimod?
- Severe side effects: The study suggests that severe side effects were more common in people who took fingolimod. None of the people who had treatment with interferon beta had severe side effects, whereas 7 out of 100 participants who had treatment with fingolimod did.
No difference
- Life expectancy: None of the 121 patients died over the course of the one-year study.
- Other consequences of the disease: The effect the drugs had on physical impairments was compared. No difference was found here.
- Treatment stopped due to side effects: There was no difference between the groups here.
- Gastrointestinal diseases: There was no difference here either.
What remains unanswered?
- Quality of life: There was no usable data available regarding quality of life.
- Tiredness and everyday activities: There were no suitable data concerning the effect of the treatments on tiredness and the consequences of the disease relating to everyday activities.
Sources
- Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany). Fingolimod – Benefit assessment according to §35a Social Code Book V. Dossier assessment; Commission A15-12. June 29, 2015. (IQWiG reports; Volume 313).
IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.
Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. We do not offer individual consultations.
Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods.
- Fingolimod (Gilenya) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis: Fingolimod (Gileny...Fingolimod (Gilenya) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis: Fingolimod (Gilenya) for adults with rapidly evolving relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis - InformedHealth.org
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