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Article History

Received: 1 November 2025

Revised: 8 January 2026

Accepted: 13 January 2026

First Online: 4 February 2026

Declarations

:

: Riadh Gouider: received research grant and/or advisory board honoraria from Biogen, Hikma, Merck, Roche and Sanofi. Amina Gargouri: received travel compensation from Biogen, Abdi Ibrahim, Hikma and Menarini. Saloua Mrabet: received a MENACTRIMS clinical fellowship grant (2020). Amira Souissi: received travel compensation from Roche. Francesco Patti: received personal compensation for serving on advisory board by Almirall, Alexion, Biogen, Bristol, Janssen, Merck, Novartis and Roche. He further received research grant by Alexion, Almirall, Biogen, Bristol, Merck, Novartis and Roche and by FISM, Reload Association (Onlus), Italian Health Minister, and University of Catania. Clara Chisari, received grants for congress participation from Almirall, Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, and TEVA. She has also received grants from Sanofi Genzyme. Tim Spelman: received compensation for serving on advisory boards, steering committees and scientific leadership groups from Biogen. Eva Kubala Havrdova: received honoraria/research support from Biogen, Merck Serono, Novars, Roche, and Teva; has been member of advisory boards for Actelion, Biogen, Celgene, Merck Serono, Novars, and Sanofi Genzyme;received honoraria/research support from Biogen, Merck Serono, Novars, Roche, and Teva; has been member of advisory boards for Actelion, Biogen, Celgene, Merck Serono, Novars, and Sanofi Genzyme; and has been supported by the Czech Ministry of Education—project Cooperatio LF1, research area Neuroscience, and the project National Institute for Neurological Research (Programme EXCELES, ID project No LX22NPO5107)—funded by the European Union-Next Generation EU. Bianca Weinstock-Guttman: served as a consultant for Biogen, EMD Serono, Novartis, Genentech, Celgene/Bristol Meyers Squibb, Sanofi Genzyme, Bayer, Janssen, Labcorp, Horizon and SANA. Dr. Weinstock-Guttman also has received grant/research support from Novartis, Biogen, Horizon/Amgen. She serves in the editorial board for Children, CNS Drugs, MS International, Journal of Neurology Frontiers Epidemiology. Alessandra Lugaresi: received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking or other activities from Alexion, Amgen/Horizon, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen/Johnson&Johnson, Merck Serono, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi/Genzyme, and Her institutions received research grants from Novartis and Sanofi/Genzyme. Allan G Kermode: served on Scientific Advisory Boards for Bayer, BioCSL, Biogen-Idec, Clene Nanomedicine, Esai, Innate Immunotherapeutics, Lgpharma, Merck, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals, Novartis, Progenis, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva, and View Health. Marzena Fabis-Pedrini: received travel compensation from Merck. Samia J. Khoury: received compensation for serving on the IDMC for Biogen. Izanne Roos: served on scientific advisory boards, received conference travel support and/or speaker honoraria from Roche, Novartis, Merck and Biogen and is supported by a MS Australia and the Trish Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation. Tomas Kalincik: served on scientific advisory boards or as a consultant for MS International Federation and World Health Organisation, Therapeutic Goods Administration, BMS, Roche, Janssen, Sanofi Genzyme, Novartis, Merck and Biogen, steering committee for Sanofi Genzyme, received conference travel support and/or speaker honoraria from WebMD Global, Sandoz, Novartis, Biogen, Roche, Eisai, Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva, BioCSL and Merck and received research or educational event support from Biogen, Novartis, Genzyme, Roche, Celgene and Merck. Jeannette Lechner-Scott: received travel compensation from Novartis, Biogen, Roche and Merck. Her institution receives the honoraria for talks and advisory board commitment as well as research grants from Biogen, Merck, Roche and Novartis. Davide Maimone: received speaker honoraria for Advisory Board and travel grants from Alexion, Almirall, Bayer, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme, and Teva. Helmut Butzkueven: received institutional (Monash University) funding from Biogen, Roche, Merck, Alexion and Novartis; has carried out contracted research for Novartis, Merck, Roche and Biogen; has taken part in speakers’ bureaus for Biogen, Novartis, Roche and Merck; has received personal compensation from Oxford Health Policy Forum for the Brain Health Steering Committee. Seyed Aidin Sajedi: received fellowship grant from MSBase for MS research. Nevin John: PI on commercial MS studies sponsored by Novartis, Roche and Sanofi. He has received speaker’s honoraria and consultancy fees from Merck. He has had conference travel and registration reimbursement; and consultancy fees from Novartis. Claudio Solaro: served on scientific advisory boards for Merck, Genzyme, Almirall, and Biogen; received honoraria and travel grants from Sanofi Aventis, Novartis, Biogen, Merck, Genzyme and Teva. Guy Laureys: received travel and/or consultancy compensation from Sanofi-Genzyme, Roche, Teva, Merck, Novartis, Celgene, Biogen. Bruce Taylor: received funding for travel and speaker honoraria from Bayer Schering Pharma, CSL Australia, Biogen and Novartis, and has served on advisory boards for Biogen, Novartis, Roche and CSL Australia. Richard Macdonell: Richard Macdonell or his institution have received remuneration for his speaking engagements, advisory board memberships, research and travel from Biogen, Merck, Genzyme, Bayer, Roche, Teva, Novartis, CSL, BMS, MedDay and NHMRC. Stephen Reddel: Funds over the last 5 years, including but not limited to travel support, honoraria, trial payments, research and clinical support to the institution has been received: Alexion, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi. Additional interests and potential conflicts of interest include: Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation Varicella Zoster working party (unpaid). Simón Cárdenas-Robledo: has received, in the past three years, travel expenses for scientific meetings from Biopas, Roche, Merck, and Genzyme; compensation for consulting services or participation on advisory boards from Merck, Biogen-Idec, Sanofi and Novartis; lecture fees from Biopas, Novartis, Merck, Sanofi, Janssen and Biogen-Idec; and research support from Biogen-Idec and Novartis. He is a subject editor on Multiple Sclerosis for Acta Neurológica Colombiana and a member of the editorial board of Frontiers of Neurology. Patrice Lalive: received honoraria for speaking and or travel expense from Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche; consulting fees from Biogen, GeNeuro, Merck, Novartis, Roche; research support from Biogen, Merck, Novartis. None were related to this work. Barbara Willekens: received honoraria for acting as a member of Scientific Advisory Boards/Consultancy for Alexion, Almirall, Biogen, Celgene/BMS, Merck, Janssen, Novartis, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi-Genzyme and speaker honoraria and travel support from Biogen, Celgene/BMS, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme; research and/or patient support grants from Biogen, Janssen, Merck, Sanofi-Genzyme, Roche. Honoraria and grants were paid to UZA/UZA Foundation. Further, B.W. received research funding from FWO-TBM, Belgian Charcot Foundation, Start2Cure Foundation, Queen Elisabeth Medical Foundation for Neurosciences and the National MS Society USA. Abdorreza Naser Moghadasi: has served on scientific advisory boards, received conference travel support and/or speaker honoraria from Roche, Novartis, Genzyme, Merck and Biogen. Serkan Ozakbas: None. Vahid Shaygannejad: None. Masoud Etemadifar: None. Raed Alroughani: received honoraria as a speaker and for serving on scientific advisory boards from Bayer, Biogen, GSK, Merck, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi-Genzyme. Cavit Boz: received conference travel support from Biogen, Novartis, Bayer-Schering, Merck and Teva; has participated in clinical trials by Sanofi Aventis, Roche and Novartis. Sara Eichau: has received speaker honoraria and consultant fees from Biogen Idec, Novartis, Merck, Janssen, Bristol-Meyers, Bayer, Sanofi Genzyme, Roche and Teva. Valentina Tomassini: has received consultation and speaker fees, travel grants and research support from: Biogen, Sanofi Genzyme, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Alexion, Viatris, Janssen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Almirall. Murat Terzi: received travel grants from Novartis, Bayer-Schering, Merck and Teva; has participated in clinical trials by Sanofi Aventis, Roche and Novartis. Alexandre Prat: None. Mario Habek: participated as a clinical investigator and/or received consultation and/or speaker fees from: Biogen, Sanofi Genzyme, Merck, Novartis, Pliva/Teva, Roche, Zentiva, Astra Zeneca, TG Pharmaceuticals, CNSystems. Yolanda Blanco: received speaker honoraira/consulting fees from Merck, Biogen, Roche, Brystol, Novartis, Sanofi and Sandoz. Ayse Altintas: received speaker honoraria from Novartis and Alexion. Oliver Gerlach: None. Recai Turkoglu: None. Katherine Buzzard: received speaker honoraria and/or education support from Biogen, Teva, Novartis, Genzyme-Sanofi, Roche, Merck and Alexion; has been a member of advisory boards for Merck and Biogen. Olga Skibina: received honoraria and consulting fees from Bayer Schering, Novartis, Merck, Biogen and Genzyme. Aysun Soysal: None. Anneke van der Walt: served on advisory boards and receives unrestricted research grants from Novartis, Biogen, Merck and Roche She has received speaker’s honoraria and travel support from Novartis, Roche, and Merck. She receives grant support from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and MS Research Australia. Stella Hughes: received unrestricted educational grants or speaking honoraria from Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi Genzyme. Vincent van Pesch: received travel grants from Merck Healthcare KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany), Biogen, Sanofi, Bristol Meyer Squibb, Almirall, Roche and Eisai. His institution has received research grants and consultancy fees from Roche, Biogen, Sanofi, Merck Healthcare KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany), Bristol Meyer Squibb, Janssen, Almirall, Novartis Pharma, Alexion, Neuraxpharm and Eisai. Matteo Foschi: received

: The study of the MSBase registry (WHO CTRN12605000455662) was approved by the Melbourne Health Human Research Ethics Committee and local ethics committees in all centers.