Efficacy of Intrathecally Administered Natural Human Fibroblast Interferon as Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis

In 1981 we reported the results of an open, preliminary study of 20 patients suggesting that intrathecally (IT) administered natural human fibroblast interferon (IFN-B) reduced the neurologic exacerbations of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).(1,2) We have subsequently conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled, two-year, multicenter study to determine definitively whether this treatment is effective in MS.(3) The participating centers for the clinical aspects of the study were the Dent Neurologic Institute, Buffalo, N.Y.; Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. and the University of Rochester Medical Center, Washington, D.C. The statistics center was the Department of Biomathematics, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, N.Y. Because of its potential importance, this study was monitored throughout its course by a committee of experts appointed by the National Institutes of Health.