Letter to the editor

Results from the 5-year, phase IV RENEW (Registry to Evaluate Novantrone Effects in Worsening Multiple Sclerosis) study

Background

Registry to Evaluate Novantrone Effects in Worsening Multiple Sclerosis (RENEW) was a 5-year, phase IV study in which the safety of Mitoxantrone was monitored in a patient cohort from the United States (US). The objective of the study was to evaluate the long-term safety profile of Mitoxantrone in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), progressive relapsing multiple sclerosis (PRMS), and worsening relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Methods

Overall, 509 patients (395 SPMS, 81 worsening RRMS, 33 PRMS) were enrolled and treated at 46 multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment centers located in the US. Patients received Mitoxantrone in accordance with the package insert every 3 months. During the treatment phase, patients received laboratory workups and cardiac monitoring every 3 months and then annually for a total of 5 years.

Results

Five hundred and nine subjects were enrolled in this trial and received at least one infusion of Mitoxantrone. Overall, 172 (33.8%) completed the 5-year trial (i.e., participated for 5 years ± 3 months [treatment + follow-up]); 337 (66.2%) did not complete the 5-year trial. Annual follow-up data were available for 250 of 509 enrolled patients. Left ventricular ejection fraction reduction under 50% was reported in 27 (5.3%) patients during the treatment phase (n = 509) and 14 (5.6%) patients during the annual follow-up phase (n = 250). Signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure were observed in 10 (2.0%) patients (six during treatment phase and four during the annual follow-up phase). Post-hoc analyses of the risk for cardiotoxicity outcomes revealed that cumulative dose exposure is the primary risk factor associated with the risk of cardiac toxicity with Mitoxantrone. Therapy-related leukemia was reported in three (0.6%) patients who received total cumulative Mitoxantrone doses of 73.5 mg/m², 107.3 mg/m², and 97.1 mg/m² respectively. During the treatment phase, persistent amenorrhea developed in 22% (28/128) of women with regular menses and 51% (25/49) of women with irregular menses at baseline. During the annual follow-up phase, persistent amenorrhea developed in 5% (4/73) of women with regular menses at baseline.

Conclusion

RENEW results are consistent with the known safety profile of Mitoxantrone, and provide additional long-term safety data for Mitoxantrone in MS patients.

Mitoxantrone for multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

This is an updated Cochrane review of the previous published version.Mitoxantrone (MX) has been shown to be moderately effective in reducing the clinical outcome measures of disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of MX compared to a control group in relapsing-remitting (RRMS), progressive relapsing (PRMS) and secondary progressive (SPMS) MS participants.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Multiple Sclerosis and Rare Diseases of the Central Nervous System Group Specialised Register (June 2012) and reference lists of articles. We also undertook handsearching and contacted trialists and pharmaceutical companies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised, double-blinded, controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the administration of MX versus placebo or MX plus steroids treatment versus placebo plus steroids treatment were included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The review authors independently selected articles for inclusion. They independently extracted clinical, safety and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, resolving disagreements by discussion. Risk of bias was evaluated to assess the quality of the studies. Treatment effect was measured using odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the binary outcomes and mean differences (MD) with 95% CI for the continuous outcomes. If heterogeneity was absent, a fixed-effect model was used.

MAIN RESULTS

Three trials were selected and 221 participants were included in the analyses. MX reduced the progression of disability at two years follow-up (proportion of participants with six months confirmed progression of disability (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.99 and MD -0.36, 95% CI- 0.70 to -0.02; P = 0.04)). Significant results were found regarding the reduction in annualised relapse rate (MD -0.85, 95% CI -1.47 to -0.23; P = 0.007), the proportion of patients free from relapses at one year (OR 7.13, 95% CI 2.06 to 24.61; P = 0.002) and two years (OR 2.82, 95% CI 1.54 to 5.19; P = 0.0008), and the number of patients with active MRI lesions at six months or one year only (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.57; P = 0.001). Side effects reported in the trials (amenorrhoea, nausea and vomiting, alopecia and urinary tract infections) were more frequent in treated patients than in controls, while no major adverse events have been reported. These results should be considered with caution because of the heterogeneous characteristics of included trials in term of drug dosage, inclusion criteria and quality of included trials. Moreover, it was not possible to estimate the long-term efficacy and safety of MX.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

MX shows a significant but partial efficacy in reducing the risk of MS progression and the frequency of relapses in patients affected by worsening RRMS, PRMS and SPMS in the short-term follow-up (two years). No major neoplastic events or symptomatic cardiotoxicity related to MX have been reported; however studies with longer follow-up (not included in this review) have raised concerns about the risk of systolic disfunction (˜12%) and therapy-related acute leukaemias (0.8%), which are increasingly reported in the literature.MX should be limited to treating patients with worsening RRMS and SPMS and with evidence of persistent inflammatory activity after a careful assessment of the individual patients' risk and benefit profiles. Assessment should also consider the present availability of alternative therapies with less severe adverse events.

Acute myeloid leukemia developing in patients with autoimmune diseases

Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia is an unfortunate complication of cancer treatment, particularly for patients with highly curable primary malignancies and favorable life expectancy. The risk of developing therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia also applies to patients with non-malignant conditions, such as autoimmune diseases treated with cytotoxic and/or immunosuppressive agents. There is considerable evidence to suggest that there is an increased occurrence of hematologic malignancies in patients with autoimmune diseases compared to the general population, with a further increase in risk after exposure to cytotoxic therapies. Unfortunately, studies have failed to reveal a clear correlation between leukemia development and exposure to individual agents used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Given the dismal outcome of secondary acute myeloid leukemia and the wide range of available agents for treatment of autoimmune diseases, an increased awareness of this risk and further investigation into the pathogenetic mechanisms of acute leukemia in autoimmune disease patients are warranted. This article will review the data available on the development of acute myeloid leukemia in patients with autoimmune diseases. Possible leukemogeneic mechanisms in these patients, as well as evidence supporting the association of their primary immunosuppressive status and their exposure to specific therapies, will also be reviewed. This review also supports the idea that it may be misleading to label leukemias that develop in patients with autoimmune diseases who are exposed to cytotoxic agents as 'therapy-related leukemias'. A better understanding of the molecular defects in autoimmune disease patients who develop acute leukemia will lead to a better understanding of the association between these two diseases entities.

Long-term safety profile of mitoxantrone in a French cohort of 802 multiple sclerosis patients: a 5-year prospective study

Background: From 2001, a French multicentre study was conducted prospectively in a large cohort of MS patients and annually updated up to at least 5 years after initiation of MITOX therapy. Objective: To determine long-term safety profile of mitoxantrone (MITOX) in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: Eight hundred and two patients from 12 MS centres (308 relapsing–remitting, 352 secondary progressive and 142 primary progressive) received MITOX monthly for 6 months (87%) or every 3 months (13%). Patients underwent clinical and haematologic evaluations before every MITOX infusion and every 6–12 months up to 5 years after MITOX start. Echocardiograms were performed at the start and end of MITOX and up to 5 years after.

Results: The cohort was followed for 5354 patient-years (mean). One out of 802 patients (0.1%) presented with acute congestive heart failure and 39 out of 794 patients (4.9%) presented with asymptomatic left ventricular ejection fraction reduction under 50% (persistent in 11 patients (28%), transient in 27 patients (69%), on the last scan at year 5 in 1 patient). Two cases of therapy-related leukaemia (0.25%) were detected 20 months after MITOX start (one death and one with 8 years confirmed remission). Of the 317 women treated before the age of 45, 17.3% developed a persistent age-dependant amenorrhea. Conclusion: This large cohort with at least 5 years of follow-up provided good insights into the long-term safety profile of MITOX in MS.

Evidence Report: The efficacy and safety of mitoxantrone (Novantrone) in the treatment of multiple sclerosis: Report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology

OBJECTIVE

The chemotherapeutic agent mitoxantrone was approved for use in multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2000. After a review of all the available evidence, the original report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee in 2003 concluded that mitoxantrone probably reduced clinical attack rates, MRI activity, and disease progression. Subsequent reports of decreased systolic function, heart failure, and leukemia prompted the US Food and Drug Administration to institute a "black box" warning in 2005. This review was undertaken to examine the available literature on the efficacy and safety of mitoxantrone use in patients with MS since the initial report.

METHODS

Relevant articles were obtained through a review of the medical literature and the strength of the available evidence was graded according to the American Academy of Neurology evidence classification scheme.

RESULTS

The accumulated Class III and IV evidence suggests an increased incidence of systolic dysfunction and therapy-related acute leukemia (TRAL) with mitoxantrone therapy. Systolic dysfunction occurs in approximately 12% of patients with MS treated with mitoxantrone, congestive heart failure occurs in approximately 0.4%, and leukemia occurs in approximately 0.8%. The number needed to harm is 8 for systolic dysfunction and 123 for TRAL. There is no new efficacy evidence that would change the recommendation from the previous report.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of systolic dysfunction and leukemia in patients treated with mitoxantrone is higher than suggested at the time of the previous report, although comprehensive postmarketing surveillance data are lacking.

Revision of the risk of secondary leukaemia after mitoxantrone in multiple sclerosis populations is required

The objective in this paper is to compare the cumulative incidence and incidence density of therapy-related acute myeloid leukaemia in two cohorts of patients with multiple sclerosis treated with mitoxantrone, and with previously reported data in the literature. Six new cases of acute myeloid leukaemia were observed by prospectively following two Spanish series of 142 and 88 patients with worsening relapsing multiple sclerosis and secondary-progressive disease treated with mitoxantrone. A literature review shows 32 further cases of acute myeloid leukaemia reported, 65.6% of which are therapy-related acute promyelocytic leukaemia. Five cases in the cohorts fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for acute promyelocytic leukaemia, and one patient was diagnosed with pre-B-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Acute myeloid leukaemia latency after mitoxantrone discontinuation was 1 to 45 months. The accumulated incidence and incidence density was 2.82% and 0.62%, respectively, in the Valencian cohort, and 2.27% and 0.44% in the Catalonian cohort. In the only seven previously reported series, the accumulated incidence varied from 0.15% to 0.80%. The real incidence of acute myeloid leukaemia after mitoxantrone therapy in the multiple sclerosis population could be higher as evidenced by the growing number of cases reported. Haematological monitoring should continue for at least 5 years after the last dose of mitoxantrone. These data stress the necessity of re-evaluating this risk.

Cancer risk and impact of disease-modifying treatments in patients with multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Prior to the era of immunomodulating or immunosuppressive (IS) treatments Multiple Sclerosis (MS) was linked to reduced rates of cancer. Method A descriptive study of MS patients with a documented oncological event was performed. From 1 January 1995 to 30 June 2006, we collected and studied the profile of 7,418 MS patients gathered from nine French MS centers. We evaluated the incidence of cancer in a Cancer Risk In MS Cohort.

RESULTS

Thirty one patients (1.75%) with confirmed MS had a history of cancer: mean age at MS diagnosis of 37.9 years and a mean age at cancer diagnosis of 46.4 years. The most frequent cancers were breast (34.5%), gynecological (12.5%), skin (10.2%), acute leukemia and lymphoma (5.9%), digestive (8.8%), kidney and bladder (5.1%), lung (3.4%) and central nervous system (3%). Calculated standardized incidence rates were 0.29 (0.17-0.45) for men and 0.53 (0.42-0.66) for women. The incidence of cancer in this MS population was lower than that expected for the general population. Matched to age, gender and histology, cancers in MS were associated with a young age and exposure to IS treatments. When considering all patients, treated patients had a 3-fold higher risk of developing cancer, if they had a history of IS (P = 0.0035). For treated patients, the cancer sites were more likely the breast, the urinary tract, the digestive system and the skin.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that MS patients do not have an increased risk of cancer. Rather for several types of cancer a significantly reduced risk was observed, except for breast cancer in women treated with IS. The relative increased risk of breast cancer in MS women under IS treatment warrants further attention.

Molecular analysis of t(15;17) genomic breakpoints in secondary acute promyelocytic leukemia arising after treatment of multiple sclerosis

Therapy-related acute promyelocytic leukemia (t-APL) with t(15;17) translocation is a well-recognized complication of cancer treatment with agents targeting topoisomerase II. However, cases are emerging after mitoxantrone therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS). Analysis of 12 cases of mitoxantrone-related t-APL in MS patients revealed an altered distribution of chromosome 15 breakpoints versus de novo APL, biased toward disruption within PML intron 6 (11 of 12, 92% vs 622 of 1022, 61%: P = .035). Despite this intron spanning approximately 1 kb, breakpoints in 5 mitoxantrone-treated patients fell within an 8-bp region (1482-9) corresponding to the "hotspot" previously reported in t-APL, complicating mitoxantrone-containing breast cancer therapy. Another shared breakpoint was identified within the approximately 17-kb RARA intron 2 involving 2 t-APL cases arising after mitoxantrone treatment for MS and breast cancer, respectively. Analysis of PML and RARA genomic breakpoints in functional assays in 4 cases, including the shared RARA intron 2 breakpoint at 14 446-49, confirmed each to be preferential sites of topoisomerase IIalpha-mediated DNA cleavage in the presence of mitoxantrone. This study further supports the presence of preferential sites of DNA damage induced by mitoxantrone in PML and RARA genes that may underlie the propensity to develop this subtype of leukemia after exposure to this agent.

Compared benefit of approved and experimental immunosuppressive therapeutic approaches in multiple sclerosis

An important amount has been learnt about the mechanisms of action, efficacy and long-term toxicities of mitoxantrone. Importantly, recent observations strongly suggest that early administration of potent immunosuppressants (mitoxantrone and alemtuzumab) is definitely more effective than approved immunomodulators to delay or even reverse disability progression. Given the cardiotoxicity of mitoxantrone, restricting exposure to the drug to 2 or 3 years, the benefits and risks of immunosuppressants previously used as off-label treatments (cyclophosphamide and cladribine) have been revisited, and the potential efficacy in multiple sclerosis of recent immunosuppressants used in other autoimmune diseases, organ transplantation and cancer therapy has received increasing attention. Those immunosuppressants comprise monoclonal antibodies targeting B cells, lymphocytes and monocytes, IL-2 receptor and alpha4 integrin, as well as new molecules (pixantrone and isoxazole derivatives) and a new generation of immunosuppressants (fingolimod), which modulate lymphocyte re-circulation. This review addresses the most recent data concerning the efficacy and safety of mitoxantrone and of new experimental therapies that are presently in progress.

[CARIMS (Cancer Risk In Multiple Sclerosis) project: impact of long-term treatment]

Controversial results have been published on potential link between cancer and multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis has been linked to reduced rates of cancer prior to the era of immunomodulating or immunosuppressive treatments and until today, only 9 studies can be found in the literature. New strategies and early use of IM or IS drugs in MS justify to study and follow patients to detect a potential increase of cancer's incidence in treated patients. It is important to follow and collect prospectively in MS centers, patients with history of cancer, to document histologies, and potential relations with repeated IM or IS treatments. A prospective study is in progress in French MS centers on behalf the Club Francophone de la SEP (CARIMS Project).

Management of worsening multiple sclerosis with mitoxantrone: a review

BACKGROUND

Mitoxantrone, an intravenously administered immunosuppressant that inhibits T-cell, B-cell, and macrophage proliferation, is indicated for reducing neurologic disability and relapse frequency in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), progressive relapsing MS, or worsening relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

OBJECTIVE

This article reviews the pathogenesis and natural history of MS and examines the available treatment options for patients with RRMS, worsening RRMS, or SPMS, with a focus on mitoxantrone.

METHODS

MEDLINE (1966-present) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1994-present) were searched for relevant randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trials using the terms mitoxantrone, Novantrone, and multiple sclerosis.

RESULTS

Five randomized, blinded, controlled trials and an ongoing open-label Phase IV safety study were identified and included in this review. In one randomized, double-blind trial (N=25), patients with RRMS who received mitoxantrone 8 mg/m2 monthly had significantly reduced relapse rates at 1 year compared with those who received placebo (P=0.014). In a 2-year, randomized, partially blinded trial (N=51), patients with active RRMS who received mitoxantrone 8 mg/m2 monthly had significantly fewer relapses compared with those who received placebo (P<0.001), and significantly fewer patients had confirmed progression of disability (1-point increase in Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score) (P=0.02). In a randomized, double-blind trial (N=49), patients with relapsing SPMS who received mitoxantrone 12 mg/m2 monthly for 3 months followed by 12 mg/m2 g3mo for up to 32 months had significant improvements in EDSS scores compared with those who received methylprednisolone 1 g IV monthly for 3 months followed by 1 g IV g3mo (P=0.002 at 1 year, P=0.045 at 2 years) and significant reductions in the number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (P=0.002 at 1 and 2 years, P=0.03 at 3 years). In a randomized, partially blinded Phase II trial in 42 patients with active RRMS or SPMS, patients who received mitoxantrone 20 mg IV monthly and methylprednisolone 1 g IV monthly had significantly fewer new gadolinium-enhancing lesions on MRI (P<0.001) and significantly fewer relapses (P<0.01) at 6 months compared with those who received methylprednisolone alone. In a pivotal Phase III trial (N=194), patients with worsening RRMS or SPMS who received mitoxantrone 12 mg/m2 g3mo for 2 years had significantly fewer relapses (P<0.001) and significantly less deterioration in disability, as measured by change in EDSS score (P=0.019), compared with those who received placebo. In a nonrandomized subgroup of patients from this study (n=110), those who received mitoxantrone 12 mg/m2 g3mo had a significant reduction in the number of T2-weighted MRI lesions at 24 months (P=0.027). The most common adverse events in these studies included nausea and/or vomiting (18%-85%), alopecia (33%-61%), amenorrhea (8%-53%), urinary tract infections (6%-32%), and upper respiratory tract infections (4%-53%). Leukopenia was reported in 10% to 19% of patients. Use of mitoxantrone can lead to serious adverse effects, particularly cardiotoxicity, myelosuppression, and, rarely, leukemia. Long-term use of mitoxantrone may compromise left ventricular function. Limited cardiotoxicity was reported in the clinical studies; in the pivotal clinical trial, 2 patients who received mitoxantrone 12 mg/m2 had decreases in left ventricular ejection fraction to <50% of baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

In the available clinical trials, mitoxantrone provided effective treatment for worsening RRMS or SPMS. When mitoxantrone is used as recommended, the risks of substantial myelosuppressive and cardiotoxic effects can be reduced by careful patient selection, drug administration, and monitoring. The lifetime cumulative dose should be strictly limited to 140 mg/m2, or 2 to 3 years of therapy.

Leucémies aiguës chez deux patients atteints de sclérose en plaques et traités par mitoxantrone

INTRODUCTION

Mitoxantrone (Mx) is used as a second-line treatment in multiple sclerosis. Since 1998, eight cases of acute leukemia (AL) have been described. We report two new cases of myeloid AL that occurred during treatment with Mx.

OBSERVATIONS

The first case concerned a women who was treated with Mx for 3 months. In spite of a very low total dose (58.32 mg), she developed promyelocytic AL. The second patient died of myeloid AL, 27 months after the last injection of Mx.

DISCUSSION

All the reported cases of AL occurring after Mx respond to the criteria of leukemia induced by anti-topoisomerases II. Epidemiological data and those from animal experiments suggest that Mx has direct role in the occurrence of leukemia.

CONCLUSION

It must be remembered that even if the risk of Mx-induced leukemia is low, blood cell counts must be closely monitored for at least five years after the last injection of this treatment.

Mitoxantrone for multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Mitoxantrone (MX) has been shown to be moderately effective in reducing the clinical outcome measures of disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of MX in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), progressive relapsing MS (PRMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS).

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane MS Group Trials Register (searched April 2005), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library Issue 4, 2004), MEDLINE (Pub Med) (January 1966 to April 2005), EMBASE (January 1974 to April 2005), and reference lists of articles. We also undertook hand searching and contacting trialists and pharmaceutical companies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The trials were selected if double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomised, irrespective of eventual additive therapy (such as steroids).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Three reviewers independently selected articles for inclusion, assessed trials' quality and extracted data.

MAIN RESULTS

Four trials involving 270 participants were included. MX was found to reduce the progression of disability at 2 years follow-up (proportion of participants with 6-months confirmed progression of disability: Odds Ratios (OR) 0.3, p = 0.05). Similar figures were found regarding the reduction in annualised relapse rate and the proportion of patients free from relapses at 1 and 2 years, as well as the number of patients with active MRI lesions at 6 months/ 1 year only. Side effects reported in the trials were more frequent in treated patients than in controls. Caution must be exercised in drawing conclusions from such data because of the heterogeneous quality and characteristics of the included trials, which are different in terms of treatment schedule and type of enrolled patients. More than half of the included patients came from a single study. Moreover, from the included trials, it was not possible to estimate the long-term efficacy and safety of MX, which may raise concerns about the risk of cardiotoxicity and therapy-related leukemias, which is increasingly reported in the literature.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

MX is moderately effective in reducing the disease progression and the frequency of relapses in patients affected by RR, PR and SP MS in the short-term follow-up (2 years), even if the results are based on trials heterogeneous in terms of drug dosage and inclusion criteria. No major neoplastic or symptomatic cardiotoxicity related to MX have been reported from the trials. However, longer follow-up studies are highly warranted to better explore the efficacy and safety of the drug, mainly as regards the long-term risk of therapy-related leukemias and cardiotoxicity. As a conclusion, MX has a partial efficacy, but, due to its unclear long-term safety profile, it should be used to treat patients with worsening RR and SP MS with evidence of worsening disability.

Multiple sclerosis – novel insights and new therapeutic strategies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review focuses on novel aspects of the pathogenesis and advances in the therapy of multiple sclerosis (MS).

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent observations suggest that early lesion development in MS may start in some forms with oligodendrocyte death and that inflammation appears as a secondary phenomenon only. The lack of sufficient remyelination in MS may be the result of a disturbed function of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. Clinically the identification of patients with a clinically isolated syndrome at high risk to develop clinically definite MS remains difficult; the predictive value of serum antibodies against myelin proteins remains controversial. The role of neutralizing antibodies in interferon therapy is discussed. New therapeutic approaches in MS are emerging.

SUMMARY

The existing view on the pathogenesis of MS is still changing. The original assumption that cell-mediated demyelination is the key event in lesion development dictating clinical disability is critically reviewed and alternative pathways have been suggested. Oligodendrocyte death, axonal loss, the role of CD8 T lymphocytes, T regulatory cells, and B lymphocytes have come into the focus of newly evolving concepts in MS pathogenesis. A deepened understanding of the immunopathogenesis of this disease translates into innovative therapeutic approaches, such as blockade of alpha4 integrins by a humanized monoclonal antibody. In various animal models cell-replacement strategies yield promising results; however, turning these findings into an effective therapy in MS patients has a long way to go.

Escalating immunotherapy of multiple sclerosis--new aspects and practical application

Recent clinical studies in multiple sclerosis (MS) provide new data on the treatment of clinically isolated syndromes, on secondary progression, on direct comparison of immunomodulatory treatments and on dosing issues. All these studies have important implications for the optimized care of MS patients. The multiple sclerosis therapy consensus group (MSTCG) critically evaluated the available data and provides recommendations for the application of immunoprophylactic therapies. Initiation of treatment after the first relapse may be indicated if there is clear evidence on MRI for subclinical dissemination of disease. Recent trials show that the efficacy of interferon beta treatment is more likely if patients in the secondary progressive phase of the disease still have superimposed bouts or other indicators of inflammatory disease activity than without having them. There are now data available, which suggest a possible dose-effect relation for recombinant beta-interferons. These studies have to be interpreted with caution, as some potentially important issues in the design of these studies (e. g. maintenance of blinding in the clinical part of the study) were not adequately addressed. A meta-analysis of selected interferon trials has been published challenging the value of recombinant IFN beta in MS. The pitfalls of that report are discussed in the present review as are other issues relevant to treatment including the new definition of MS, the problem of treatment failure and the impact of cost-effectiveness analyses. The MSTCG panel recommends that the new diagnostic criteria proposed by McDonald et al. should be applied if immunoprophylactic treatment is being considered. The use of standardized clinical documentation is now generally proposed to facilitate the systematic evaluation of individual patients over time and to allow retrospective evaluations in different patient cohorts. This in turn may help in formulating recommendations for the application of innovative products to patients and to health care providers. Moreover, in long-term treated patients, secondary treatment failure should be identified by pre-planned follow-up examinations, and other treatment options should then be considered.

Mitoxantrone therapy in multiple sclerosis and acute leukaemia: a case report out of 644 treated patients

As a rare complication of mitoxantrone (MITOX) therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS), a therapy-related acute leukaemia (TRAL) may develop. The incidence is difficult to estimate, as frequently single cases are reported, up to now a total of eight MS patients. Here we report a new case out of 644 patients. This is a 45-year-old female patient with secondary progressive MS who developed TRAL after a total dose of 48 mg/m2 MITOX. The TRAL was classified as acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML) M4eo and showed an inversion of chromosome 16 and a partial trisomy 11. Her TRAL was treated with chemotherapy followed by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. It responded well to the transplantation, whereas the MS symptoms initially worsened but have nearly returned to the pretransplantation level. This report brings the currently published frequency of MITOX-associated TRAL in MS therapy to five in a total of 2336 treated MS patients, representing an incidence of 0.21%.