Glatiramer Acetate (Gladsam) Dose Frequency
Glatiramer acetate 40 mg/mL should be administered three times weekly (not daily), with doses separated by at least 48 hours between injections. 1
Standard Dosing Regimen
The high-concentration formulation of glatiramer acetate 40 mg/mL is specifically designed for three-times-weekly subcutaneous administration in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). 1 This represents a significant departure from the older 20 mg/mL formulation, which requires once-daily dosing. 1
Key Dosing Specifications
- Dose: 40 mg/mL subcutaneously 1
- Frequency: Three times per week 1
- Minimum interval: At least 48 hours between injections 1
- Route: Subcutaneous injection only 1
Clinical Efficacy and Tolerability
The three-times-weekly 40 mg/mL regimen demonstrated equivalent efficacy to the once-daily 20 mg/mL formulation in the phase III GALA trial, with significant reductions in annualized relapse rates compared to placebo. 1
The reduced frequency dosing offers substantial tolerability advantages, with the GLACIER study showing a 50% reduction in injection-site reactions compared to daily dosing, along with numerically greater patient convenience scores. 1 This improved tolerability profile makes the three-times-weekly regimen the preferred option when initiating glatiramer acetate therapy.
Practical Administration
Patients should rotate injection sites and maintain consistent spacing between doses throughout the week (e.g., Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday patterns). 1 The high-concentration formulation was specifically developed to reduce injection frequency burden while maintaining therapeutic efficacy in RRMS. 1