Extended use of glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) is well tolerated and maintains its clinical effect on multiple sclerosis relapse rate and degree of disability. Copolymer 1 Multiple Sclerosis Study Group

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Glatiramer Acetate in the context of multiple sclerosis, published as a randomized controlled trial.

This study was extended for 1 to 11 months (mean of 5.2 months for the glatiramer acetate group and 5.9 months for the placebo group).

Who Took Part

The age groups tagged for this paper are adults.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Glatiramer Acetate and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

As a double-blind Glatiramer Acetate study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Glatiramer Acetate could be set against what happens without it.

The methods mention a period of 24 months.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Disability Evaluation, Glatiramer Acetate, Immunosuppressive Agents, Multiple Sclerosis, Nervous System, Peptides and Recurrence.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Glatiramer Acetate in people with multiple sclerosis over 24 months.

The publication is from 1998 (Neurology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Glatiramer Acetate compound page, Multiple sclerosis research.