The primary objective of this study is to determine whether dimethyl fumarate (DMF) taken over 12 months is effective in reducing Multiple Sclerosis (MS)-related fatigue, as measured by mean changes in the Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Functions (FSMC), in participants with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The secondary objectives of this study are: To investigate changes from Baseline in FSMC and fatigue severity (Fatigue Severity Scale \[FSS\]) at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months in participants receiving DMF; To assess the impact of DMF on patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including work productivity (Work Productivity and Activity Impairment-Multiple Sclerosis questionnaire \[WPAI-MS\]), health-related quality of life (Short Form Health Survey \[SF-12\]), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen \[BDI-FS\]), and sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale \[ESS\]) at 6 and 12 months in participants receiving DMF; To examine whether an association exists between fatigue and baseline demographics (e.g., age and sex) and disease characteristics (e.g., disease duration, baseline disease activity, treatment history, expanded disability status scale \[EDSS\] score, and PROs); To assess any changes in fatigue-related medication use.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Administered as specified in the treatment arm
Mean change from baseline in MS-related fatigue as assessed by FSMC at 12 months in participants receiving DMF
FSMC is a 20-item questionnaire and produces a score between 1 and 5 for each scored question (ranging from "does not apply at all" to "applies completely"). Items are summed to generate a total score and transformed to a scale with a range of 20 to 100, where higher scores indicate higher levels of fatigue
Time frame: 12 months
Mean change from baseline in fatigue as assessed by FSMC in participants receiving DMF
Time frame: Baseline and 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months
Mean change from baseline in fatigue as assessed by FSS in participants receiving DMF
The Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) is designed to differentiate fatigue from clinical depression, since both share some of the same symptoms. FSS consists of answering a 9-item questionnaire that requires the participant to rate his or her own level of fatigue. Each question produces a score between 1 to 7. The scoring is done by calculating the average response to the questions. Participants with depression alone score about 4.5. But people with fatigue related to MS average about 6.5
Time frame: Baseline and 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months
Mean change from baseline in work productivity as assessed by WPAI-MS, in participants receiving DMF
The Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire is a validated instrument to measure impairments in work and activities. The WPAI yields four types of scores: 1. Absenteeism (work time missed) 2. Presenteesism (impairment at work / reduced on-the-job effectiveness) 3. Work productivity loss (overall work impairment / absenteeism plus presenteeism) 4. Activity Impairment. WPAI outcomes are expressed as impairment percentages, with higher numbers indicating greater impairment and less productivity
Time frame: Baseline and 6, 12 months
Mean change from baseline in quality of life as assessed by SF-12 in participants receiving DMF
The SF-12 is a multipurpose short form survey with 12 questions, all selected from the SF-36 Health Survey. The questions were combined, scored, and weighted to create two scales that provide glimpses into mental and physical functioning and overall health-related-quality of life. Physical and Mental Health Composite Scores (PCS \& MCS) are computed using the scores of twelve questions and range from 0 to 100, where a zero score indicates the lowest level of health and 100 indicates the highest level of health
Time frame: Baseline and 6, 12 months
Mean change from baseline in depression as assessed by BDI-FS in participants receiving DMF
BDI-FS is a self-report inventory for measuring the severity of depression on a 7-item questionnaire. Each question is rated on a 4-point scale (0 - 3) to assess frequency, over the past two weeks, of feelings of sadness, pessimism (hopelessness), sense of failure, loss of a sense of pleasure, loss of self-confidence, self-blame, and suicidal ideation. The total ESS score is the sum of 8 item-scores and can range between 0 and 21, where higher scores indicate higher levels of depression
Time frame: Baseline and 6, 12 months
Mean change from baseline in sleepiness assessed by ESS in participants receiving DMF
The ESS is a self-administered 8-item questionnaire with that provides a measure of a person's general level of daytime sleepiness, or their average sleep propensity in daily life. Each question is rated on a 4-point scale (0 - 3), their usual chances of dozing off or falling asleep in 8 different situations or activities that most people engage in as part of their daily lives, although not necessarily every day. The total ESS score is the sum of 8 item-scores and can range between 0 and 24, where higher scores indicate higher levels of a person's level of daytime sleepiness
Time frame: Baseline and 6, 12 months
Change in MS-related fatigue (FSMC) status
Improved (\> 4.5 increase), Stable (within ±4.5), and Worsened (\> 4.5 decrease)
Time frame: Baseline and up to 12 months
Correlation of fatigue with baseline demographics and disease characteristics
Time frame: Baseline and up to 12 months
Proportion of participants with reduced dose or discontinuation of fatigue-related medications
Time frame: 6 and 12 months
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