Severity of COVID19 infection among patients with multiple sclerosis treated with interferon-beta

Background: Interferon-beta, a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for MS, may be associated with less severe COVID-19 in people with MS. Results: Among 5,568 patients (83.4% confirmed COVID-19), interferon-treated patients had lower risk of severe COVID-19 compared to untreated, but not to glatiramer-acetate, dimethyl-fumarate, or pooled other DMTs. Conclusions: In comparison to other DMTs, we did not find evidence of protective effects of interferon-beta on the severity of COVID-19, though compared to the untreated, the course of COVID-19 was milder among those on interferon-beta. This study does not support the use of interferon-beta as a treatment to reduce COVID-19 severity in MS.

Publication year:2022

Accessibility:Open