OBJECTIVES: To examine patient suitability across three administration routes for disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in the 5EU and US.

METHODS: A multi-centre medical chart-review was conducted among MS patients receiving DMTs from neurologists in the 5EU (UK/Germany/France/Italy/Spain) (n=1978) and US (n=756) in Q2 2018. Neurologists provided de-identified data online on diagnosis, clinical measures, treatment patterns and perceptions of patient suitability for each DMT on a scale of 1 to 7. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: Patients who were rated highly suitable for injectables (rating=6/7) were more likely to occupy milder disease patient segments. 39.3% and 46.3% of patients considered non-active, based on clinical judgement and 36.8% and 41.8% experiencing 0 relapses in the past 12m, were rated highly suitable for injectables in the 5EU and US respectively. In a typically severe patient segment of EDSS score 4+, 18.5% and 25.0% in the 5EU and US respectively were considered highly suitable for an injectable. Oral therapies showed high suitability across all patient segments (not mutually exclusive): non-active MS (59.1% and 59.7%); EDSS 4+ (55.1% and 58.1%) and women of child-bearing age (WCBA) (56.4% and 54.4%) in the 5EU and US, respectively. In comparison, patients rated highly suitable for infusion therapies were more likely to fall within the more severe segments; patients with 2+ relapses in the last 12 mo (52.3% and 57.7%) and EDSS 4+ (52.5% and 64.0%) were rated highly suitable for infusion therapies in 5EU and US respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Milder patient segments were viewed highly suitable for injectable therapies whilst the opposite is true for infusions. Oral therapies show high suitability across all segments, indicative of a universal application. With no one patient profile rated suitable for any one mode of administration (MOA), future research examining MOA on outcomes is warranted.