Healthcare Insights
Top 10 medications used to treat multiple sclerosis
What is multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves and leads to progressive neurological impairments such as memory loss, pain, blindness, and paralysis. It affects up to one million people in the U.S. and about 2.5 million people globally.
It is generally accepted that multiple sclerosis is driven by certain lymphocyte B and T cells attacking the myelin sheath that insulates and surrounds nerve cells.
While scientists and researchers have thus far been unable to identify the cause of MS with any certainty, there has been promising progress in other areas of MS study. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reports that significant strides have been made in the development of new treatments to prevent exacerbations of MS—and these discoveries are changing how MS patients are treated and the impact of MS-related disability.
What are the different types of multiple sclerosis?
MS disease progression generally follows four courses: clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).
It’s important to note that MS is highly individual, and the course of the disease can vary significantly from person to person, even within the same type.
The medications used to treat MS are referred to as disease-modifying therapies, and each has an indication from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the type of multiple sclerosis course it treats.
How MS treatments differ across pharmacy and clinical settings
Using data from our Atlas All-Payor Medical and Prescription Claims datasets, this analysis looks at the most frequently used drugs among patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2024.
The prescription claims dataset reflects medications dispensed at pharmacies, while the medical claims dataset captures drugs administered in clinical settings such as physician offices, hospitals, and infusion centers.
Because prescription activity accounts for most MS-related claims, combining the two datasets would disproportionately emphasize pharmacy-dispensed medications. To ensure balanced representation of both oral and infusion therapies, the datasets were reported separately.
| Rank | Drug name | Generic or brand | % of total MS patients | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabapentin | Generically named | 20.0% | Explore |
| 2 | Baclofen | Generically named | 14.8% | Explore |
| 3 | Prednisone | Generically named | 13.1% | Explore |
| 4 | Hydrocodone-acetaminophen | Generically named | 9.7% | Explore |
| 5 | Omeprazole | Generically named | 9.3% | Explore |
| 6 | Duloxetine HCl | Generically named | 9.0% | Explore |
| 7 | Pantoprazole sodium | Generically named | 9.0% | Explore |
| 8 | Methylprednisolone | Generically named | 7.9% | Explore |
| 9 | Ibuprofen | Generically named | 7.7% | Explore |
| 10 | Ondansetron ODT | Generically named | 7.2% | Explore |
Fig. 1 Data sourced from our Atlas All-Payor Claims dataset for calendar year 2024. Accessed October 2025.
| Rank | Drug name | Generic or brand | % of total MS patients | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocrevus | Brand named | 28.5% | Explore |
| 2 | Solu-medrol | Brand named | 27.1% | Explore |
| 3 | Sodium chloride | Generically named | 20.0% | Explore |
| 4 | Dotarem | Brand named | 9.8% | Explore |
| 5 | Tysabri | Brand named | 8.8% | Explore |
| 6 | Ondansetron HCl | Generically named | 8.2% | Explore |
| 7 | Methylprednisolone sodium succ | Generically named | 7.7% | Explore |
| 8 | Gadavist | Brand named | 7.0% | Explore |
| 9 | Acetaminophen | Generically named | 6.6% | Explore |
| 10 | Dexamethasone sodium phosphate | Generically named | 5.8% | Explore |
Fig. 2 Data sourced from our Atlas All-Payor Claims dataset for calendar year 2024. Accessed October 2025.
What is the most prescribed drug for multiple sclerosis in 2024?
Based on prescription drug claims, the most prescribed medications among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2024 were primarily generically named, reflecting broad utilization of symptom management and supportive therapies.
Gabapentin led with 20% of MS patients receiving prescriptions, followed by baclofen (15%) and prednisone (13%). These drugs—used to manage neuropathic pain, spasticity, and inflammation—underscore the ongoing clinical focus on alleviating the daily functional impacts of MS.
Other frequently prescribed medications, such as hydrocodone-acetaminophen, duloxetine, and ondansetron, point to the need for pain control, mood stabilization, and relief from treatment-related side effects.
Based on 2024 medical claims data, treatment patterns among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients reflect a strong reliance on infusion and imaging-related therapies.
Ocrevus (29%) and Solu-Medrol (27%) were the top-administered drugs, highlighting the continued dominance of high-efficacy monoclonal antibody and corticosteroid infusions in MS management.
The frequent use of sodium chloride (20%) reflects its role as a supportive infusion component, while agents like Dotarem (10%) and Gadavist (7%) underscore the routine use of MRI contrast agents for disease monitoring.
Tysabri (9%) remains a key therapy for relapsing forms of MS, reinforcing the importance of biologic infusions in maintaining disease control.
The appearance of medications such as ondansetron, acetaminophen, and dexamethasone points to adjunctive management of infusion-related side effects and symptom relief.
Overall, medical claims data illustrate a care model centered on infusion-based disease modification supported by intensive monitoring and symptom management infrastructure.
Together, these tables illustrate the distinction between oral prescription therapies and infusion-based clinical therapies, providing a more complete view of MS drug patterns in 2024.
Multiple sclerosis clinical trials and emerging research
While there is currently no cure for multiple sclerosis, scientists continue to gain new insight into the causes, treatment strategies, and risk factors of MS.
Of note is the ongoing work to develop new and better disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) to treat multiple sclerosis. Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor and stem cell transplantation are two emerging therapies scientists are exploring.
Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors for MS treatment
BTK inhibitors work mainly by suppressing the function of specific immune system cells that play a role in the inflammatory process believed to contribute to the development of MS. BTK inhibitors are currently undergoing phase two and three clinical trials and show potential as a promising new approach to treating MS. Taking this medication could possibly help calm inflammation in MS patients and protect nerve cells from damage.
Stem cell transplants for MS treatment
Another emerging treatment is stem cell transplantation. This process works by first destroying the immune system of an MS patient, likely through a high dose of chemotherapy. Then, healthy stem cells would be infused into the patient to create a new immune system that hopefully won’t attack the myelin sheath, potentially outright stopping or slowing the progression of the disease.
While both treatments show promise, they are still in the experimental stage of their development. Research is ongoing to improve the safety and long-term efficacy of both stem cell transplantation and BTK inhibitors.
Learn more
Healthcare Insights are developed with healthcare commercial intelligence from the Definitive Healthcare platform.
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