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Interferon beta-1a (IFN-beta 1a) and subcutaneous (s.c.) Glatiramer Acetate (GA).<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>A 96-week, Phase IIIb, multicenter, open-label randomized trial enrolled 30 participants (ages 12\u201317). Patients were randomized into two groups: 15 received i.m. IFN-beta 1a, and 15 received s.c. GA. The primary endpoint was MRI disease activity-free status; secondary outcomes included annualized relapse rate (ARR), time to first relapse, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), cognitive and fatigue scores, and quality of life.<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>The groups differed by age but not sex. MRI disease activity-free status did not differ (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.09). ARR was significantly lower in the GA group (0.20; 95% CI 0.08\u20130.42) than in the IFN-beta 1a group (0.57; 95% CI 0.31\u20130.95, <jats:italic>p\u2009<\/jats:italic>=\u20090.02). EDSS, cognitive, fatigue, and quality-of-life scores were comparable. Notably, 50% of GA patients and 30% of IFN-beta 1a patients switched to higher efficacy treatments.<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>Both treatments showed similar efficacy and safety, but early high-efficacy therapy may be preferable for POMS management.<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Trial Registration<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>EudraCT Number: 2017\u2013005129-18. <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu\/ctr-search\/trial\/2017-005129-18\/IT\" ext-link-type=\"uri\">https:\/\/www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu\/ctr-search\/trial\/2017-005129-18\/IT<\/jats:ext-link>\n            <\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s10072-025-08377-3","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,8]],"date-time":"2025-08-08T01:18:03Z","timestamp":1754615883000},"page":"5391-5400","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["A multicentre, prospective, randomized, open-label pragmatic trial to compare the effectiveness and safety of interferon beta-1a and glatiramer-acetate in paediatric patients affected by Multiple Sclerosis"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"46","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4381-4613","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marta","family":"Simone","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"Palumbi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mariaclara","family":"Achille","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefania","family":"Micella","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mara","family":"Pascali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonia","family":"Peschechera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessandra","family":"Gabellone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lucia","family":"Marzulli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"De Giacomo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giulia","family":"Maggi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giorgio","family":"Reggiardo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mariagrazia","family":"Felisi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rosa","family":"Padula","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Donato","family":"Bonifazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Massimiliano","family":"Valeriani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Papetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roberta","family":"Lanzillo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valentina Torri","family":"Clerici","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lucia","family":"Margari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,8]]},"reference":[{"issue":"9","key":"8377_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"936","DOI":"10.1016\/S1474-4422(14)70093-6","volume":"13","author":"A Waldman","year":"2014","unstructured":"Waldman A, Ghezzi A, Bar-Or A et al (2014) Multiple sclerosis in children: an update on clinical diagnosis, therapeutic strategies, and research. 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