INTRODUCTION Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) leading to progressive neurological disability. Interferon β (IFNβ) represents a standard treatment for relapsing-remitting MS and exogenous administration of IFNβ exhibits protective effects in experimentally induced CNS autoimmunity. Also, genetic deletion of IFNβ in mice leads to an a...

A new formulation (NF) of subcutaneous (sc) interferon (IFN) β-1a was developed in an attempt to improve injection tolerability and immunogenicity. We compared antiviral and IFNβ-stimulated gene (ISG) activities of IFNβ-1a sc NF with IFNβ-1a sc original formulation and IFNβ-1b sc. When equivalent unit amounts were compared, the IFNβ formulations demonstrated similar antiviral activity and induc...

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a potent oncolytic virus for many tumors. VSV that produces interferon-β (VSV-IFNβ) is now in early clinical testing for solid tumors. Here, the preclinical activity of VSV and VSV-IFNβ against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is reported. NSCLC cell lines were treated in vitro with VSV expressing green fluorescence protein (VSV-GFP) and VSV-IFNβ. VSV-GFP a...

Increased interferon (IFN)-β signaling in patients with insufficient coronary collateralization and an inhibitory effect of IFNβ on collateral artery growth in mice have been reported. The mechanisms of IFNβ-induced inhibition of arteriogenesis are unknown. In stimulated monocytes from patients with chronic total coronary artery occlusion and decreased arteriogenic response, whole genome expres...

OBJECTIVES Interferon beta (IFNβ) therapy is effective in multiple sclerosis and murine models of arthritis. Surprisingly, systemic IFNβ treatment induces only minimal improvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To explain this paradox, the authors evaluated the mechanism of IFNβ benefit in passive K/BxN arthritis and the effect of IFNβ treatment on RA synovium. METHODS Interleukin 10 (IL-10) n...

BACKGROUND Interferon beta (IFNβ) and glatiramer acetate (GA) are administered by subcutaneous (SC) or intramuscular (IM) injection. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) often report injection-site reactions (ISRs) as a reason for noncompliance or switching therapies. The aim of this study was to compare the proportion of patients on different formulations of IFNβ or GA who experienced ISRs an...

PURPOSE To compare adherence and persistence among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) initiated on disease-modifying therapy (DMTs), including intramuscular (IM) interferon beta-1a (IFNβ-1a), subcutaneous (SC) IFNβ-1a, IFNβ-1b, or glatiramer acetate (GA). METHODS MS patients initiated on IM-IFNβ-1a, SC-IFNβ-1a, IFNβ-1b, or GA between January 1, 2000 and January 2, 2008 were identified from...

A significant proportion of patients with multiple sclerosis who receive interferon beta (IFNβ) therapy develop neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) that reduce drug efficacy. To investigate if HLA class I and II alleles are associated with development of NAbs against IFNβ we analyzed whether NAb status and development of NAb titers high enough to be biologically relevant (>150 tenfold reduction unit...

Myxovirus A (MxA), a protein encoded by the MX1 gene with antiviral activity, has proven to be a sensitive measure of IFNβ bioactivity in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the use of MxA as a biomarker of IFNβ bioactivity has been criticized for the lack of evidence of its role on disease pathogenesis and the clinical response to IFNβ. Here, we aimed to identify specific biomarkers of IFNβ bioa...

BACKGROUND Intramuscular interferon beta-1a (IFNβ-1a), a multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy that has been commercially available for over a decade, provides a unique opportunity to retrospectively assess postmarketing data for evidence of malignancy risk, compared with relatively limited data available for more recently approved therapies. Postmarketing and claims data were analyzed to determine t...