Johnen, Andreas
,
Bürkner, Paul-Christian
Landmeyer, Nils C.
Ambrosius, Björn
Calabrese, Pasquale
Motte, Jeremias
Hessler, Nicole
Antony, Gisela
König, Inke R.
Klotz, Luisa
Hoshi, Muna-Miriam
Aly, Lilian
Groppa, Sergiu
Luessi, Felix
Paul, Friedemann
Tackenberg, Björn
Bergh, Florian Then
Kümpfel, Tania
Tumani, Hayrettin
Stangel, Martin
Weber, Frank
Bayas, Antonios
Wildemann, Brigitte
Heesen, Christoph
Zettl, Uwe K.
Zipp, Frauke
Hemmer, Bernhard
Meuth, Sven G.
Gold, Ralf
Wiendl, Heinz
Salmen, Anke
Funding for this research was provided by:
Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie (01GI0914, 01GI1601B)
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (01GI0916, 01GI1601G)
Article History
Received: 25 September 2018
Revised: 14 November 2018
Accepted: 26 November 2018
First Online: 4 December 2018
Compliance with ethical standards
:
: Paul-Christian Bürkner, Nils C. Landmeyer, Nicole Hessler, Gisela Antony, Inke R. König, Lilian Aly, Sergiu Groppa and Pasquale Calabrese report no disclosures. Andreas Johnen received speaker’s honoraria and reimbursement of travel expenses from Actelion Pharmaceuticals unrelated to this work. Björn Ambrosius received travel grants from Novartis, not related to this work. He is now an employee of Celgene Corporation (not during the work of this project). Jeremias Motte received travel grants from Biogen idec, his research is funded by Klaus Tschira Foundation and Ruhr-University, Bochum (FoRUM-Program); none related to this work. Luisa Klotz received honoraria for lecturing and serving on advisory boards, as well as travel expenses for attending meetings and financial research support from Novartis, Biogen, Roche, Merck, Sanofi Genzyme, the BMBF and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; German Research Society). Muna-Miriam Hoshi received travel expenses from Bayer Health Care and honoraria for an advisory board from Merck Serono GmbH. Felix Lüssi serves as an advisory board member for Roche Pharma and has received travel grants from Teva Pharma. Friedemann Paul serves on the scientific advisory board for Novartis; received speaker honoraria and travel funding from Bayer, Novartis, Biogen Idec, Teva, Sanofi-Aventis/Genzyme, Merck Serono, Alexion, Chugai, MedImmune, and Shire; is an academic editor for PLoS One; is an associate editor for Neurology® Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation; consulted for SanofiGenzyme, Biogen Idec, MedImmune, Shire, and Alexion; and received research support from Bayer, Novartis, Biogen Idec, Teva, Sanofi-Aventis/Genzyme, Alexion, Merck Serono, German Research Council, Werth Stiftung of the City of Cologne, German Ministry of Education and Research, Arthur Arnstein Stiftung Berlin, EU FP7 Framework Program, Arthur Arnstein Foundation Berlin, Guthy Jackson Charitable Foundation, and National Multiple Sclerosis of the USA; none related to this work. Björn Tackenberg received personal speaker honoraria and consultancy fees as a speaker and advisor from Bayer Healthcare, Biogen, CSL Behring, GRIFOLS, Merck Serono, Novartis, Octapharma, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, TEVA und UCB Pharma. His University received unrestricted research grants from Biogen-idec, Novartis, TEVA, Bayer Healthcare, CSL-Behring, GRIFOLS, Octapharma, Sanofi Genzyme und UCB Pharma; none related to this work. Florian Then Bergh received travel support to attend scientific meetings, personal speaker honoraria, and consultancy fees as a speaker and advisor from Actelion, Bayer Healthcare, Biogen, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, and TEVA. He received, through his institution, unrestricted research grants from Novartis, TEVA, Bayer Healthcare, and Actelion; none related to this work. He received funding from the DFG and, through TRM Leipzig, from the BMBF. Tania Kümpfel received travel expenses and personal compensations from Bayer Healthcare, Teva Pharma, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis/Genzyme, Roche and Biogen as well as grant support from Bayer-Schering AG, Novartis and Chugai Pharma; none related to this work. Hayrettin Tumani received speaker honoraria from Bayer, Biogen, Fresenius, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Siemens, Teva; serves as section editor for the Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Brain Research; and receives research support from Fresenius, Genzyme, Merck, and Novartis; none related to this work. Martin Stangel received honoraria for scientific lectures or consultancy from Bayer Healthcare, Biogen, Baxter/Baxalta, CSL Behring, Euroimmune, Grifols, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, and Teva. His institution received research support from Bayer Healthcare, Biogen Idec, Genzyme, Merck-Serono, Novartis, and Teva; none related to this work. Frank Weber received honoraria from Genzyme, Novartis TEVA and Biogen for speaking or for serving on a scientific advisory board, a travel grant for the attention of a scientific meeting from Merck-Serono and Novartis and grant support from Merck-Serono, Novartis and from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, Projects Biobanking and Omics in ControlMS as part of the Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis). Antonios Bayas received personal compensation from Merck Serono, Biogen, Bayer Vital, Novartis, TEVA, Roche and Sanofi/Genzyme and grants for congress trips and participation from Biogen, TEVA, Novartis, Sanofi/Genzyme, and Merck Serono; none related to this work. Brigitte Wildemann received grants from the German Ministry of Education and Research, Dietmar Hopp Foundation and Klaus Tschira Foundation, grants and personal fees from Biogen, Merck Serono, Sanofi Genzyme, Novartis pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharma, and personal fees from Bayer Healthcare; none related to this work. Christoph Heesen received research grants and speaker honoraria from Biogen, Genzyme, Roche, and Merck; none related to this work. Uwe K. Zettl received speaker fees from Aventis, Almirall, Biogen, Bayer, Merck, Novartis, Roche, and Teva. Frauke Zipp received funds for scientific consultation or research of DFG, BMBF, Novartis, Octapharma, Merck Serono, ONO Pharma, Biogen, Genzyme, and Sanofi Aventis within the past 3 years. Bernhard Hemmer served on scientific advisory boards for F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Novartis, Bayer AG, and Genentech; he has served as DMSC member for AllergyCare; he or his institution have received speaker honoraria from Biogen Idec, Teva Neuroscience, Merck Serono, Medimmune, Novartis, Desitin, and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd; his institution has received research support from Chugai Pharmaceuticals; holds part of two patents; one for the detection of antibodies and T cells against KIR4.1 in a subpopulation of MS patients and one for genetic determinants of neutralizing antibodies to interferon during the last 3 years. Sven G. Meuth received honoraria for lecturing, travel expenses for attending meetings, and/or financial research support from Almirall, Bayer Health Care, Biogen, Diamed, Fresenius Medical Care, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, ONO Pharma, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis and Teva. Ralf Gold serves on scientific advisory boards for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering Pharma, and Novartis; has received speaker honoraria from Biogen Idec, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Bayer Schering Pharma, and Novartis; serves as editor for Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Diseases and on the editorial boards of Experimental Neurology and the Journal of Neuroimmunology; and receives research support from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering Pharma, Genzyme, Merck Serono, and Novartis; none related to this work. Heinz Wiendl receives honoraria for acting as a member of Scientific Advisory Boards and as a consultant for Biogen, Evgen, MedDay Pharmaceuticals, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche Pharma AG, Sanofi-Genzyme, as well as speaker honoraria and travel support from Alexion, Biogen, Cognomed, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Gemeinnützige Hertie-Stiftung, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche Pharma AG, Sanofi-Genzyme, TEVA, and WebMD Global. Prof. Wiendl is acting as a paid consultant for Abbvie, Actelion, Biogen, IGES, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme, and the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Society. His research is funded by the BMBF, DFG, Else Kröner Fresenius Foundation, Fresenius Foundation, Hertie Foundation, NRW Ministry of Education and Research, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Studies (IZKF) Muenster and RE Children’s Foundation, Biogen GmbH, GlaxoSmithKline GmbH, and Roche Pharma AG, Sanofi-Genzyme. Anke Salmen received speaker honoraria and/or travel compensation for activities with Almirall Hermal GmbH, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, and Sanofi Genzyme; none related to this work. Collaborators: Seray Demir, Christoph Schröder, Susanne Rothacher, Lisa A. Voithenleitner and Jana Pöttgen report no disclosures. Achim Berthele reports personal fees from Bayer Healthcare, Biogen, Merck Serono, Mylan, Roche, and Sanofi Genzyme, and his institution received compensations for clinical trials from Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Biogen, Chugai, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, and Teva - all outside the submitted work. Sarah Haars received, through her institution, travel compensation to attend scientific meetings from Merck, Bayer, Novartis and Actelion, unrelated to this work. Sandra Nischwitz received honoraria for serving on scientific Adboards and as a speaker from Merck Serono, Novartis, Genzyme and Roche and grant support from Novartis. Matthias J. Knop received honoraria for serving on scientific Adboards and as a speaker from Biogen, Merck, Genzyme, Novartis and Roche. Clemens Warnke received honoraria and/or research funding from Bayer, Biogen, Novartis, and TEVA; none related to this work. Ralf A. Linker received Research Support and/or personal compensation for activities with Bayer Health Care, Biogen, Genzyme/Sanofi, Merck, Novartis Pharma, Roche, and TEVA Pharma; none related to this work. Ulf Ziemann received speaker honoraria and/or travel compensation from Biogen Idec GmbH, Bayer Vital GmbH, Bristol Myers Squibb GmbH, CorTec GmbH, Medtronic GmbH, and grants from Biogen Idec GmbH, Servier, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals NV; none related to this work.
: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.