Interferon beta produces only small benefits in multiple sclerosis

Treatment of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis with interferon beta produces only a small improvement in overall quality of life at considerable cost to the health service, according to a report commissioned by the NHS Executive's health technology assessment programme.

Researchers used existing data from clinical trials of interferon beta, information on the clinical course of multiple sclerosis, and new data on costs and quality of life to construct a model for calculating cost effectiveness. The cost effectiveness over five years was estimated …