The results demonstrated that patients who switched from interferon beta (IFN beta) to Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection) experienced a 77% reduction in annualized relapse rates (0.63 to 0.14). In addition, these patients did not progress significantly in their disability as measured by expanded disability status scale (EDSS).

The study evaluated the clinical efficacy of switching patients who responded inadequately to first-line immunomodulatory therapy. All patients who switched among the immunomodulatory treatments benefited in terms of relapse rate reduction, however, those who switched from IFN beta to Copaxone experienced no significant disability progression, while patient disability continued to increase in patients who switched from Copaxone to IFN beta or from one IFN beta to another IFN beta.

In addition, proportion of patients who did not experience a relapse over the entire three-year treatment period, increased from 16% to 68% following switch to Copaxone. Whereas the proportion of relapse-free patients switching from one IFN beta to another IFN beta remained similar before and after switch.

Adriana Carra, principal investigator of the study, said: "For patients switching from IFN beta to Glatiramer Acetate, the results obtained are consistent with those of previous studies demonstrating a robust reduction in mean annualized relapse rate and a stabilization of disease progression."

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