Medications for Multiple Sclerosis

Medically Reviewed by Christopher Melinosky, MD on February 03, 2023
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
5 min read

Many medications can slow down MS in some people. Doctors call them disease-modifying drugs. They include:

All of these drugs work by holding back or changing how your body's immune system works. These treatments are based on the fact that MS happens, at least in part, because of a mistake your immune system makes that causes it to attack the coating around your nerves, known as myelin.

These medications don’t cure MS, but they do lower the number of attacks, make them less severe, and prevent new brain lesions. They also slow down MS.

These medications can improve the quality of life for many people with MS. Your doctor will probably suggest you start taking one as soon as you’re diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS.

Things to consider include side effects they might cause, benefits of taking them, how often you take them, how you take them, and your personal concerns, priorities, and lifestyle.

The goal is to find a treatment you can use comfortably and consistently. Each drug company offers customer support and may also give financial help to some people without prescription drug coverage.

Here's what you need to know about some of the treatments for MS.

Alemtuzumab ( Lemtrada)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS
  • How you take it: Through an IV infusion
  • How often: 5 days in a row, then 3 days in a row a year later
  • Common side effects: Rash, headache, fever, stuffy nose, nausea, joint pain
  • Support program: 855-676-6326

Cladribine (Mavenclad)

  • What it treats: Relapsing and secondary progressive forms of MS
  • How you take it: A pill by mouth
  • How often: 4-5 days, then 4-5 days about a month later. After 1 year, this is repeated.
  • Common side effects: Headaches, low white blood cell counts, infections
  • Support program: 877-447-3243

Dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS, 
  • How you take it: A pill by mouth
  • How often: Twice daily
  • Common side effects: Flushing, stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
  • Support program: 800-456-2255

Diroximel fumarate (Vumerity)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS, CIS, RRMS, active secondary progressive 
  • How you take it: A pill by mouth
  • How often: Start one pill twice daily the first week. Two pills twice daily afterward
  • Common side effects: Flushing, stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rash, PML, anaphylaxis/angioedema, lymphopenia, liver injury
  • Support program: 800-456-2255

Fingolimod (Gilenya)

  • What it treats: Relapsing MS
  • How you take it: A pill by mouth
  • How often: Daily
  • Common side effects: Headache, diarrhea, back pain, and abnormal liver tests
  • Support Program: ABOVE MS 800-456-2255

Glatiramer acetate (Copaxone)

  • What it treats: Relapsing-remitting MS
  • How you take it: Injection under the skin
  • How often: Three times per week
  • Common side effects: Skin reaction where the needle went in, weakness
  • Support program: 800-887-8100

Interferon beta-1a (Avonex)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS. Also given after an initial episode of inflammation.
  • How you take it: Injection into a muscle
  • How often: Weekly
  • Common side effects: Mild flu-like symptoms, reaction where the needle went in
  • Support program: 800-456-2255

Interferon beta-1a (Rebif)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS
  • How you take it: Injection under the skin
  • How often: Three times per week
  • Common side effects: Mild flu-like symptoms, reaction where the needle went in
  • Support program: 877-447-3243

Interferon beta-1b (Betaseron)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS
  • How you take it: Injection under the skin
  • How often: Every other day
  • Common side effects: Mild flu-like symptoms
  • Support program: 800-788-1467

Mitoxantrone (Novantrone)

  • What it treats: Rarely used for rapidly worsening relapsing-remitting MS and for progressive-relapsing or secondary-progressive forms of MS
  • How you take it: Through an IV infusion
  • How often: Every 3 months or four times a year for a total of 8-12 doses
  • Common side effects: Nausea, hair thinning, decreased white blood cell count
  • Support program: 877-447-3243

Monomethyl fumarate (Bafiertam)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS, CIS, RRMS, active secondary progressive
  • How you take it: Capsule by mouth
  • How often: Twice times a day
  • Common side effects: flushing, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, PML, lymphopenia, anaphylaxis/angioedema, liver injury
  • Support program: 800-532-7667, ext 154

Natalizumab(Tysabri)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS
  • How you take it: Through an IV infusion
  • How often: Every 4 weeks
  • Common side effects: Headache, feeling tired, and joint pain
  • Support program: 800-456-2255

Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS, CIS, RRMs, active secondary progressive muliple sclerosis
  • How you take it: Through an IV infusion
  • How often: Every 6 months
  • Common side effects: Rash, headache, fever, nausea, infections
  • Support program: 844-OCREVUS

Ofatumumab (Kesimpta)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS, CIS, RRMs, active secondary progressive muliple sclerosis
  • How you take it: By injection
  • How often: The first three doses give 1 week apart and then maintenance doses every 4 weeks
  • Common side effects: fever, chills, fatigue,
  • Support program : 855-KESIMPTA (1-855-537-4678)
  • What it treats: Relapsing or primary progressive forms of MS

Ozanimod (Zeposia)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS, CIS, RRMs, active secondary progressive disease
  • How you take it: By Mouth as a capsule
  • How often: Once daily
  • Common side effects: Upper respiratory infection, urinary tract infection, drop in blood pressure when you stand, high blood pressure, increased liver enzymes, back pain, PML, heart arrhythmias, liver injury, macular edema
  • Support program: 833-937-6742

Peginterferon beta-1a (Plegridy)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS
  • How you take it: By autoinjector or prefilled syringe
  • How often: Three times per week
  • Common side effects: Reaction where the needle went in, flu-like symptoms
  • Support program: 800-456-2255

Siponimod (Mayzent)

  • What it treats:Clinically isolated syndrome, plus relapsing and secondary progressive forms of MS
  • How you take it: A pill by mouth
  • How often: Daily
  • Common side effects: Headaches, high blood pressure, liver damage
  • Support program: 877-277-2254

Teriflunomide (Aubagio)

  • What it treats: Relapsing forms of MS
  • How you take it: A tablet by mouth
  • How often: Daily
  • Common side effects: Diarrhea, liver problems, nausea, hair loss
  • Support program: 855-676-6326