Antidepressant Drug Treatment in Association with Multiple Sclerosis Disease-Modifying Therapy

Abstract

Background: The Explorys Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) database contains de-identified clinical data for 50 million patients. Multiple sclerosis (MS) disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), specifically interferon beta (IFNβ) treatments, may potentiate depression. Conflicting data have emerged, and a large-scale claims-based study by Patten et al. did not support such an association. This study compares the results of Patten et al. with those using the EPM database. Methods: “Power searches” were built to test the relationship between antidepressant drug use and DMT in the MS population. Searches were built to produce a cohort of individuals diagnosed as having MS in the past 3 years taking a specific DMT who were then given any antidepressant drug. The antidepressant drug therapy prevalence was tested in the MS population on the following DMTs: IFNβ-1a, IFNβ-1b, combined IFNβ, glatiramer acetate, natalizumab, fingolimod, and dimethyl fumarate. Results: In patients with MS, the rate of antidepressant drug use in those receiving DMTs was 40.60% to 44.57%. The rate of antidepressant drug use for combined IFNβ DMTs was 41.61% (males: 31.25%–39.62%; females: 43.10%–47.33%). Antidepressant drug use peaked in the group aged 45 to 54 years for five of six DMTs. Conclusions: We found no association between IFNβ treatment and antidepressant drug use in the MS population compared with other DMTs. The EPM database has been validated against the Patten et al. data for future use in the MS population.