BACKGROUND: Proper management of multiple sclerosis (MS) requires feedback from clinical practice via registries. OBJECTIVE: To introduce the Czech national multiple sclerosis registry, ReMuS, and explore the availability and use of disease-modifying drugs (DMD). METHODS: The analysis focused on patients who started their first DMD, either with first-line or second-line medication and was based on reimbursement criteria set by Czech regulators. Baseline information was used to predict relapses after DMD initiation and to compare patients that started DMD in different years. RESULTS: A total of 3,328 patients started DMD treatment for MS between 2013 and 2016; 3,203 on first-line and 125 on second-line medication. The proportion of patients starting on second-line drugs increased from 1.8% in 2013 to 4.7% in 2016. The occurrence of a relapse within one year of DMD initiation was significantly related to (1) the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score immediately prior to starting DMD and (2) the number of previous relapses. Both parameters were significantly lower in patients starting in later years of the explored interval. CONCLUSION: Data from the ReMuS registry highlights improvements made in the management of MS in the Czech Republic. However, a relatively low percentage of patients started treatment using second-line drugs, in contrast to trends in other countries.

1st Dpt of Neurology Masaryk University St Anne's University Hospital Brno Czechia

Charles University Prague 3rd Faculty of Medicine Charles University and Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady Prague Czechia

Clinic of Neurology University Hospital Ostrava Ostrava Czechia

Dpt od Neurology Hospital Ceske Budejovice Ceske Budejovice Czechia

Dpt of Neurology 2nd Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague and Motol University Hospital Prague Czechia

Dpt of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague and General University Hospital Prague Czechia

Dpt of Neurology and Center of Clinical Neuroscience 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague and General University Hospital Prague Czechia; Value Outcomes s r o Prague Czechia

Dpt of Neurology Charles University Prague Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Hradec Kralove Hradec Kralove Czechia

Dpt of Neurology Charles University Prague Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen and University Hospital Pilsen Pilsen Czechia

Dpt of Neurology Faculty of Medicine Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc Olomouc Czechia

Dpt of Neurology Hospital of Jihlava Jihlava Czechia

Dpt of Neurology KZ a s Hospital Teplice Teplice Czechia

Dpt of Neurology Thomayer Hospital Prague Czechia

Dpt of Neurology Tomas Bata Regional Hospital Zlin Czechia

Dpt of Neurology University Hospital and Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Neurology Clinic Pardubice Regional Hospital and Faculty of Health Studies University of Pardubice Pardubice Czechia

Value Outcomes s r o Prague Czechia

Value Outcomes s r o Prague Czechia; Dpt of Pharmacology Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czechia

References provided by Crossref.org

The Czech National MS Registry (ReMuS): Data trends in multiple sclerosis patients whose first disease-modifying therapies were initiated from 2013 to 2021

Real-world effectiveness of cladribine as an escalation strategy for MS: Insights from the Czech nationwide ReMuS registry

Proportion and characteristics of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis in five European registries using objective classifiers

To be or not to be vaccinated: The risk of MS or NMOSD relapse after COVID-19 vaccination and infection