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Saturday
Flu vaccine's efficacy not impaired by Rebif
IMMUNE RESPONSE TO INFLUENZA VACCINE IS MAINTAINED IN MS PATIENTS TREATED WITH REBIF
Data presented today at the XVIII th World Congress of Neurology in Sydney, Australia, show that treatment with Rebif in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) does not alter the immune response to influenza vaccination.
Immune response to influenza vaccine was prospectively assessed in an open-label study over a four-week period in a total of 163 patients with MS. One group of MS patients (n=86) received Rebif (interferon beta-1a) 44 mcg subcutaneously three times weekly for at least six months before administration of the flu vaccine and continued their Rebif treatment after the vaccination. The control group of MS patients (n=77) did not receive interferon treatment within six months prior to study entry and during the study. Patients of both groups received a single dose of the same influenza vaccine. The data from the two groups were similar on the primary endpoint, defined by the proportion of patients achieving a hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titer %u226540 four weeks after vaccination, which indicates the ability of patients to mount a positive vaccine response. More than 90% of the patients in both groups (93% in the Rebif-treated patients group and 91% in the group of patients receiving no interferon treatment) were able to mount an appropriate immune response.
No new safety concerns regarding the treatment of MS patients with Rebif were identified. The proportion of patients experiencing a vaccine-related adverse event was similar for both the Rebif-treated group and the control group.
"These results demonstrate that treatment with Rebif does not alter the immune response to influenza vaccination, and that this vaccination can be performed safely in MS patients who are treated with Rebif," said Dr. Paul Lammers, Chief Medical Officer of Serono, Inc. "This news is important for patients treated with Rebif as vaccination may provide medical benefits to people with MS by preventing an influenza virus infection, and also by possibly avoiding MS exacerbations or worsening of neurologic symptoms due to concurrent viral infection."
The importance of MS patients avoiding viral infections was previously outlined by the Immunization Panel of the MS Council for Clinical Practice Guidelines. The meta-analysis performed by the Panel demonstrated that MS subjects were at increased risk of MS exacerbation during concurrent viral infections.
Serono Group -
Media - Archives 2005
Data presented today at the XVIII th World Congress of Neurology in Sydney, Australia, show that treatment with Rebif in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) does not alter the immune response to influenza vaccination.
Immune response to influenza vaccine was prospectively assessed in an open-label study over a four-week period in a total of 163 patients with MS. One group of MS patients (n=86) received Rebif (interferon beta-1a) 44 mcg subcutaneously three times weekly for at least six months before administration of the flu vaccine and continued their Rebif treatment after the vaccination. The control group of MS patients (n=77) did not receive interferon treatment within six months prior to study entry and during the study. Patients of both groups received a single dose of the same influenza vaccine. The data from the two groups were similar on the primary endpoint, defined by the proportion of patients achieving a hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titer %u226540 four weeks after vaccination, which indicates the ability of patients to mount a positive vaccine response. More than 90% of the patients in both groups (93% in the Rebif-treated patients group and 91% in the group of patients receiving no interferon treatment) were able to mount an appropriate immune response.
No new safety concerns regarding the treatment of MS patients with Rebif were identified. The proportion of patients experiencing a vaccine-related adverse event was similar for both the Rebif-treated group and the control group.
"These results demonstrate that treatment with Rebif does not alter the immune response to influenza vaccination, and that this vaccination can be performed safely in MS patients who are treated with Rebif," said Dr. Paul Lammers, Chief Medical Officer of Serono, Inc. "This news is important for patients treated with Rebif as vaccination may provide medical benefits to people with MS by preventing an influenza virus infection, and also by possibly avoiding MS exacerbations or worsening of neurologic symptoms due to concurrent viral infection."
The importance of MS patients avoiding viral infections was previously outlined by the Immunization Panel of the MS Council for Clinical Practice Guidelines. The meta-analysis performed by the Panel demonstrated that MS subjects were at increased risk of MS exacerbation during concurrent viral infections.
Serono Group -
Media - Archives 2005