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Article History

Received: 3 January 2018

Accepted: 11 March 2018

First Online: 16 March 2018

Compliance with ethical standards

:

: RL: personal fees and financial support from Almirall, Novartis, Merck Serono, Biogen, Teva, Genzyme. LP: consulting fees from Biogen, Novartis and Roche; speaker honoraria from Biogen, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Novartis and Teva; travel grants from Biogen, Genzyme, Novartis and Teva; research grants from the Italian MS Society (Associazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla) and Genzyme. RF: honoraria for speaking or consultation fees from Almirall, Merck Serono, Novartis, Sanofi, Teva, Biogen; advisory board membership of Teva, Biogen, Merck Serono, Novartis. MM has nothing to disclose. VN has nothing to disclose. CG: fees as invited speaker or travel expenses for attending meeting from Biogen, Merck-Serono, Teva, Sanofi, Novartis, Genzyme. CT: honoraria for speaking and travel grant from Biogen, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck Serono, Bayer-Schering, Teva, Genzyme, Almirall and Novartis. PA: honoraria for lecturing and participation in advisory boards, and travel expenses for attending congresses and meetings from Merck Serono, Biogen, Teva, Sanofi-Aventis, Almirall, Roche and Novartis. PC: honoraria for consultancy or speaking from Almirall, Biogen, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva. MR has nothing to disclose. SM has nothing to disclose. VTC: advisory board membership of Novartis and Merck-Serono; funding for traveling and honoraria for speaking or writing from Teva, Biogen, Genzyme, Merk-Serono and Almirall; support for research project by Almirall. LB has nothing to disclose. FB: advisory board membership of Teva and Merck Serono; honoraria for speaking or consultation fees from Almirall, Biogen Idec, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Novartis, Teva. PR: honoraria for consultancies, speaking, or travel expenses from: Biogen idec, Merck Serono, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme and Teva pharmaceuticals. GTM: travel assistance and/or honoraria for advice to Biogen, Novartis, Genzyme, Sanofi-Aventis and Merck-Serono. MDF: nothing to disclose. MCB: advisory board membership and honoraria for speaking from Teva, Novartis, Sanofi, Merck Serono and Biogen. FP has nothing to disclose. AG has nothing to disclose. EC has nothing to disclose. GC has nothing to disclose. IP has nothing to disclose. AL has nothing to disclose. AG: research support from Fondazione Cariverona, Novartis Pharma and Merck Serono; honoraria to participate in advisory boards and travel support from Merck Serono. MC: honoraria for research or speaking from Sanofi-Genzyme, Merck-Serono, Biogen Idec, Bayer, Novartis Pharma and funds for travel from Sanofi-Genzyme, Merck-Serono, Biogen Idec, Teva, Novartis Pharma, Roche and Bayer. VT has nothing to disclose. CS: advisory board membership of the following companies: Biogen and Merck Serono; speaking honoraria from Bayer-Schering, Biogen, Merck Serono, Almirall, Teva, Genzyme; research grants and support from the Italian MS Society Research Foundation (Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla).

: Due to the retrospective design and since all clinical assessments were part of clinical practice in a University or Hospital specialized Centre setting, specific ethical approval was not required.