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Placebo-Mania in MS-Studies, Part 3

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A complete list of literature (references to studies listed in this table) can be obtained from the author.

Table 2: Abstracts in studies evaluated as „causative therapy“ (? = no information in the relevant abstract, as a consequence left to that information). Definite subgroup when isolatedly defined: RR = relapsing-remitting, Prog. = secondary or primarily progressive (not always destinguished), ON = optical neuritis, (design) = presentation of running study without results.

Interferon-beta 1b (IFN-beta 1b)

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control-Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
7, 1993	RR	placebo	372	24	drug
9, 1993	RR	placebo	337/372	?	drug
10, 1995	RR	placebo	372	48	drug
11, 1997	RR	none	79	12	none
8, 1998	Prog.	placebo	661	24	drug
12, 1999	Prog.	placebo	718	24	drug
13, 1999	Prog.	placebo	718	36	drug
14, 1999	RR	placebo	?	60	drug
15, 2000	Prog.	placebo	95/718	36	drug

Interferon-beta 1a

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
16, 1995	-	placebo	64	24	drug
17, 1995	RR (early)	placebo	?	24	(design)
18, 1995	RR	placebo	?	24	(design)
19, 1996	RR	placebo	301	24	drug
20, 1997	RR	placebo	?	24	drug
21, 1998	RR	placebo	560	24	drug
22, 1999	RR	placebo	301	6	drug
23, 1999	RR	placebo	560	24	drug
24, 1999	RR	placebo	?	?	drug
25, 1999	RR	placebo	?	11	drug
26, 1999	RR	placebo	?	1	drug
27, 2000	RR	IFN-beta 1b	304	36	(design)
28, 2000	ON/1^st attack	placebo(all MP)	383	36	drug

Human recombinant or natural interferon-beta

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
29, 1995	RR	none	60	6+	drug
30, 1995	RR	2^nd dosage	72	12	(design)
31. 1999	-	placebo	98	24	drug
32, 1999	RR	none	60	12	drug

Interferon-alpha 2a (in ref. 36 mentioned as interferon-alpha)

Rerefence, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
33, 1994	RR	placebo	20	6	drug
34, 1996	RR	placebo	20	12	drug
35, 1996	RR	placebo	?	12	(design)
36, 1999	RR	placebo	17	?	drug
37, 1999	RR	placebo	97	12	drug
38, 1999	RR	placebo	97	6	none

Glacimer-racemat (copolymer-1)

Rerefence, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
39, 1991	Prog.	placebo	106	24	drug
40, 1995	RR	placebo	251	24	drug
41, 1996	RR	placebo	251	30	drug
42, 1998	RR	placebo	251	24	drug
43, 1998	RR	placebo	251	24	drug
44, 1999	RR	placebo	248	24	none
45, 2000	RR	placebo	251	36	drug

Intravenous immunoglobulin

Rerefence, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
46, 1994	-	placebo	76	?	(design)
47, 1996	RR	placebo	?	24	(design)
48, 1997	RR	placebo	148	24	drug
49, 1997	RR	placebo	148	24	drug
50, 1997	RR	placebo	17	4	?
51, 1997	Prog.	placebo	?	24	(design)
52, 1998	RR	placebo	18 (cross-over)	12	drug
53, 1998	RR	placebo	148	24	drug
54, 2000	Prog.	placebo	131	?	(design)
55, 2000	RR	placebo	148	24	drug

Methylprednisolon (MP) or other steroid (various additional uses)

Rerefence, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
56, 1992	ON	placebo	457	6	drug
57, 1993	Relapse	oral vs IV (+ placebo)	35	?	none
58, 1994	ON	oral vs. IV	16	1	none
59, 1995	Prog.	placebo	35 (cross-over)	3	drug
60, 1997	relapse	oral vs. IV	22	1	none
61, 1998	relapse	high vs. low dosage	?	2	high dosage
62,1998	relapse	placebo	51	2	drug
63, 1999	relapse	placebo	51	3/4	drug

Others with 1-5 quotations (in alphabetic rank of order):

Acyclovir

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
64, 1996	RR	placebo	60	24	drug

Altered Peptide Ligand

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
65. 2000	-	placebo	?	?	suspended

Antibody-Therapies

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
66, 1997	-	placebo	?	?	none
67, 1997	-	placebo	71	18	none
68, 1999	-	placebo	72	6	none

Acupuncture

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
69, 1999	-	placebo	61	24	therapy

Azathioprin (AZA), see also cyclosporine A and plasma exchange

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
70, 1991	RR	placebo	39	24	drug

Cladribine

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
71, 1994	Prog.	placebo	51	12	drug
72, 1999	RR	placebo	52	6	drug
73, 1999	-	placebo	?	?	(design)
74, 1999	Prog.	placebo	? (cross-over)	24	?
75, 2000	RR	placebo	50	12	?

Cyclophosphamid (CYP), see also plasma exchange

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
76, 1991	Prog.	folic acid (!)	42	24	none

Cyclosporine A

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
77, 1991	-	AZA	38	24	drug
78, 1991	relapse	Prednison	26	2	none
79, 1992	-	AZA	76	24	?
80, 1993	Prog. (+ ACTH)	dose-regiments	256	30	boosters

15 +/- Deoxyspergualin

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
81, 1993	RR	placebo	200+?	24	(design)

Extracorporeal photopheresis

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
82, 1999	Prog.	sham	16	18	none

Gingolid-B

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
83, 1995	relapse	placebo	104	?	none

Isoprinosine

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
84, 1994	RR	placebo (all + MP)	52	?	none

Lenercept

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
85, 1999	-	placebo	168	11	none

Linomide

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
86, 1996	RR	placebo	31	6	drug
87, 2000	-	placebo	715 (?)	3	drug (tox.)
88, 2000	-	placebo	718 (? - same as above)	3	drug (stopped for toxicity)

Lymphocytic irradiation

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
89, 1994	Prog.	sham	27	30	none
90, 1997	Prog.	sham	46	12	therapy

Metrothrexate

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
91, 1993	Prog.	placebo	?	12	(design)
92, 1995	Prog.	placebo	60	24	drug

Mitoxantrone

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
93, 1994	RR	placebo	25	12	none
94, 1997	RR	placebo	51	24	drug
95, 1997	relapse	placebo (all + MP)	37	6	drug

Natalizumab

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
96, 1999	-	placebo	28	?	?

Plasmaexchange

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
97, 1991	Prog.	sham (+ CYP vs. placebo)	168	12	none
98, 1994	-	sham (+ CYP vs. placebo	?	?	none
99, 1996	Prog.	(+ AZA)	8 (cross-over)	11	none
100, 1999	-	sham	34	6	therapy

Sulfasalazin

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
101, 1998	-	placebo	199	36	none

Tacrolinus

Reference, Year	Subgroup	Control Group	No. of Patients	Duration (months)	Superiority
102, 1993	-	varying doses	?	?	drug
103, 1996	-	varying doses	?	?	drug

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