Comparable Efficacy and Safety of Teriflunomide versus Dimethyl Fumarate for the Treatment of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Table 1

Demographic and clinical information of the studied groups before and after matching.

Variable		All patients			Matched group
		DMF (N = 70)	TRF (N = 79)	Statistics	DMF (N = 38)	TRF (N = 38)	Statistics
Age at disease onset, y, mean (SD)		25.17 ± 7.23	32.28 ± 10.06	MD = 7.10, t (145) = 4.859,  < 0.001	27.52 ± 6.96	28.56 ± 9.11	MD = 1.04, t (67.41) = 0.555,  = 0.581
Age at the last visit, y, mean (SD)		29.47 ± 8.18	40.72 ± 10.21	MD = 11.25, t (147) = 7.354,  < 0.001	33.15 ± 7.74	34.92 ± 9.18	MD = 1.76, t (74) = 0.905,  = 0.369
Female, n (%)		57 (81.4%)	68 (86.1%)	X^2 (N = 149, df = 1) = 0.593,  = 0.441	32 (84.2%)	33 (86.8%)	X^2 (N = 76, df = 1) = 0.106,  = 0.744
Education level, n (%)	Nonacademic	25 (35.7%)	47 (59.5%)	X^2 (N = 149, df = 1) = 8.404,  = 0.004	22 (57.9%)	22 (57.9%)	X^2 (N = 76, df = 1) = 7.773,  = 0.005
	Academic	45 (64.3%)	32 (40.5%)		16 (42.1%)	16 (42.1%)
Employment status, n (%)	Employment	26 (37.1)	26 (37.1%)	X^2 (N = 149, df = 1) = 0.177,  = 0.674	14 (36.8%)	15 (39.5%)	X^2 (N = 76, df = 1) = 0.056,  = 0.813
	Unemployment	44 (62.9%)	32 (40.5%)		24 (63.2%)	23 (60.5%)
First manifestation, n (%)	Visual	18 (25.7%)	28 (35.4%)	X^2 (N = 149, df = 1) = 2.435,  = 0.296	13 (34.2%)	13 (34.2%)	X^2 (N = 70, df = 1) = 0.500,  = 0.779
	Motor	29 (41.4%)	37 (46.8%)		18 (47.2%)	19 (50.0%)
	Brain and brainstem	13 (18.6%)	9 (11.4%)		6 (15.8%)	6 (15.8%)
DMT treatment prior to the TRF/DMF treatment initiation, n (%)		32 (45.7%)	47 (59.5%)	X^2 (N = 149, df = 1) = 2.829,  = 0.093	24 (63.2%)	24 (63.2%)	X^2 (N = 76, df = 1) = 0.000,  = 1.000
Disease duration, y, median (IQR)		3.5 (1.0–6.0)	6.0 (2.0–12.0)	U = 1719,  < 0.001	5.0 (1.7–8.2)	5.0 (2.0–10.2)	U = 705.5,  = 0.863
EDSS prior to the TRF/DMF treatment initiation, median (IQR)		1.5 (0.0–2.0)	2.0 (1.0–2.0)	U = 2555.5,  = 0.403	1.25 (0.0–2.0)	1.5 (0.0–2.0)	U = 697.0,  = 0.787
Relapses within 36 months prior to the TRF/DMF treatment initiation, mean (SD)		0.71 ± 0.54	0.56 ± 0.52	MD = −0.14, t (147) = −1.656, = 0.100	0.65 ± 0.58	0.63 ± 0.54	MD = -0.02, t (74) = -0.204,  = 0.839
Patients with at least one relapse within 36 months prior to the TRF/DMF treatment initiation, n (%)		47 (67.2%)	44 (55.7%)	X^2 (N = 149, df = 1) = 2.045,  = 0.153	23 (60.6%)	23 (60.6%)	X^2 (N = 76, df = 1) = 0.000,  = 1.000
Relapses within 12 months prior to the TRF/DMF treatment initiation, mean (SD)		0.31 ± 0.46	0.15 ± 0.39	MD = −0.16, t (147) = −2.297,  = 0.025	0.26 ± 0.44	0.23 ± 0.48	MD = -0.02, t (74) = -0.245,  = 0.807
Patients with at least one relapse within 12 months prior to the TRF/DMF treatment initiation, n (%)		22 (31.4%)	11 (14.1)	X^2 (N = 149, df = 1) = 6.595,  = 0.010	10 (26.3%)	8 (21.1%)	X^2 (N = 76, df = 1) = 0.291,  = 0.589

DMF: dimethyl fumarate; TRF: teriflunomide; DMT: disease-modifying therapy; EDSS: expanded disability status scale; MD: mean difference.