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How long can you take Tecfidera?

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Aug 17, 2023.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Tecfidera can be taken for as long as it continues to have a clinical benefit and you are not experiencing intolerable or severe side effects. A clinical benefit means that:

  • your disease is not progressing significantly
  • you are not developing any new TD2 or Gd lesions, or existing lesions are not enlarging
  • you are not having an increase in relapses
  • your brain is not atrophying at a faster than normal rate
  • you have not experienced a prolonged reduction in lymphocyte numbers.

Tecfidera was approved for MS in 2013, and long-term studies have lasted for two to six years.

Long-term treatment with Tecfidera demonstrated strong and sustained effectiveness in patients who were newly diagnosed. The earlier treatment with Tecfidera is started in MS patients, the better the outcomes seem to be. After six years the most common side effects were:

  • back, stomach, arm, or leg pain
  • diarrhea
  • fatigue
  • flushing
  • headache
  • infections
  • MS relapse
  • runny nose
  • sore throat.


References
  • Gold R, Giovannoni G, Phillips JT, Fox RJ, Zhang A, Marantz JL. Sustained Effect of Delayed-Release Dimethyl Fumarate in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: 6-Year Interim Results From an Extension of the DEFINE and CONFIRM Studies. Neurol Ther. 2016;5(1):45-57. doi:10.1007/s40120-016-0042-8
  • Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) 02/2020 Biogen Inc. https://www.drugs.com/pro/tecfidera.html

Read next

Yes, Tecfidera does suppress the immune system. Although experts are not sure exactly how Tecfidera does this, Tecfidera has been associated with reductions in lymphocyte counts, and several serious opportunistic viral infections, such as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and herpes zoster, as well as uncommon fungal and bacterial infections. Continue reading

Vumerity and Tecfidera are administered in the same way and used to treat the same condition, multiple sclerosis (MS). They also have the same active metabolite, which means that they have the same therapeutic effect - work the same way - in people with MS.

However, Vumerity and Tecfidera do have different chemical structures and Vumerity is better tolerated and causes fewer gastrointestinal problems compared with Tecfidera. Continue reading

There does not appear to be any rebound disease repercussions associated with stopping Tecfidera abruptly, unlike some other MS drugs such as Tysabri or Gilenya. Studies have shown the majority of patients taking Tecfidera discontinue or switch to another treatment within two years. Continue reading

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