OBJECTIVES : Choosing a disease modifying agent (DMA) depends on the patient and provider’s preferences, the patient’s comorbidities, prior multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, and tradeoffs between tolerability and efficacy. Oral DMAs were first approved by the FDA in 2010. Since then, few studies have measured the relationship between factors and prescribed DMAs for patients with MS. The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with prescribing oral and injectable DMAs for MS patients in France using electronic medical record (EMR) data.

METHODS : This retrospective study used Cegedim THIN outpatient EMR data from France between 7/1/2016 and 6/30/2019. The data set was transformed into the OMOP Common Data Model v5. Adult MS patients were required to have a DMA prescription and were classified into an oral or injectable cohort based on the first (index) prescription. A logistic regression model was used to measure the relationship between prescribing an oral DMA and patients’ baseline demographic and clinical factors.

RESULTS : There were 389 patients included in the study (73% female; mean±SD age = 46.23±11.56 years). 227 (58%) were prescribed an oral DMA at index. For every year increase in age, the estimated unadjusted odds of receiving an oral prescription was 1.00 (95% C.I. 0.98, 1.01) compared to an injectable prescription. The unadjusted odds of receiving an oral prescription increased by a factor of 1.82 (95% C.I. 1.14, 2.94) for males versus females.

CONCLUSIONS : This study provides insight into medical decision making for MS patients in the French population: a country that provides universal healthcare coverage. Understanding factors associated with oral vs. injectable use can guide physicians in better tailoring treatment approaches to specific patient needs and support personalized medicine approaches.