Genetic biomarker found to predict MS treatment response

Researchers have identified a genetic biomarker that predicts whether people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) will respond better to glatiramer acetate or interferon-beta therapies.

Analysis of more than 3,000 MS patients showed those carrying the HLA-A*03:01 gene variant benefit significantly more from glatiramer acetate treatment than from interferon-beta.

The discovery could enable personalised treatment selection for relapsing MS, a condition affecting the brain and spinal cord that causes symptoms including vision problems, movement difficulties and balance issues.

Scientists from the University of Münster, working with teams in France and the US, examined T-cell responses – part of the immune system’s defence mechanism – in people treated with glatiramer acetate (sold as Copaxone, among others).

Among carriers of HLA-A*03:01, which represented 29 to 49 per cent of patients studied, glatiramer acetate reduced relapse risk by 33 per cent compared with interferon-beta in one group and by 34 per cent in another. In a further group, the therapy lowered first relapse risk by 63 per cent over interferon-beta.

Nicholas Schwab, PhD is the study’s lead author and a professor at the University of Münster.

The researcher said: “Our study shows for the first time that a genetic marker is linked to the treatment success of an MS medication,.

“This allows us to predict before starting therapy whether glatiramer acetate or interferon is likely to be the better choice.”

Both glatiramer acetate and interferon-beta are established first-line treatments for adults with relapsing MS, particularly those with mild to moderate disease activity.

While both have relatively mild side effects and are well tolerated, it has been difficult to predict which therapy would suit individual patients.

Heinz Wiendl, MD, a professor at the university and spokesperson for the German Competence Network on Multiple Sclerosis, which co-designed the study, described the discovery as “a significant advance for personalised MS treatment”.

The scientists wrote: “Our study identifies HLA-A*03:01 as a predictive and genetic treatment biomarker for MS, enabling caregivers and patients to make a personalised decision before initiation of treatment.

Application of the biomarker offers one third of patients with MS an efficacious treatment with a beneficial safety profile, superior to its comparator IFN.”