Multiple Sclerosis Insights

Introduction

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system

Disease Overview
Multiple sclerosis affects areas of the central nervous system, creating inflammation and damaging the protective covering called myelin that surrounds and insulates the axons. Over time, the damaged axons and neurons disrupt the flow of nerve impulses, which causes a delay in the messages from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body – resulting in symptoms of MS.

Diagnosis
Lesions consist of inflammation and plaques with scar tissue that often forms in areas of damaged myelin. Lesions and plaques are commonly identified via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help diagnose MS and evaluate the disease progression. Patient function in different domains is tracked using a clinician rating scale known as the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).

Introduction

Nearly 1 million individuals are living with MS in the US

MS Patient Profile

Patients are typically diagnosed between the ages of 15-50, with women three times more likely than men to be diagnosed with MS.
Gender, race, geographic location, and other factors can play a role in MS prevalence.

Common Types of MS

Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS): 80-85% of patients are diagnosed with this form of the disease.
Secondary-Progressive MS (SPMS): 50% of RRMS patients develop SPMS within ten years of RRMS diagnosis.
Primary-Progressive MS (PPMS): Approximately 10% of MS patients are diagnosed with PPMS.

Treatments
Disease-Modifying Treatments (DMTs) for MS are administered via injection, infusion, or orally. Over 20 FDA-approved DMTs have been developed for use since 1993.

Best-in-Class Dataset to Support MS

Integrated Clinical and Claims Data
Deep disease-specific data from clinical notes is linked with comprehensive healthcare utilization information.

Highly Curated, Uniform Dataset
Enriched and clinically relevant outcome variables, abstracted and extracted data from notes, and more provide the highest quality, research-grade dataset with critical endpoints.

Robust Data to Support a Broad Array of Research Needs
Representative and condition specific cohorts offer insights that inform strategy and clinically important decisions.