Annals of neurology
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Annals of neurology · Mar 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEuropean/Canadian multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of the effects of glatiramer acetate on magnetic resonance imaging--measured disease activity and burden in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis. European/Canadian Glatiramer Acetate Study Group.
Two prior double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trials demonstrated that glatiramer acetate (GA) reduces relapse rates in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). This study was designed to determine the effect, onset, and durability of any effect of GA on disease activity monitored with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with RRMS. Two hundred thirty-nine eligible patients were randomized to receive either 20 mg GA (n = 119) or placebo (n = 120) by daily subcutaneous injection. ⋯ The relapse rate was also significantly reduced by 33% for GA-treated patients (p = 0.012). All effects increased over time. Glatiramer acetate significantly reduced MRI-measured disease activity and burden.