Conflict of interest statement: Competing Interests: J. Gaiottino reports no 
disclosures; N. Norgren is employed by UmanDiagnostics AB, Sweden; R. Dobson, J. 
Topping, A. Nissim, A. Malsapina, J.P. Bestwick, A.U. Monsch, A. Regeniter 
report no disclosures; R.L. Lindberg has received research support from the 
Swiss MS Society, Swiss National Science Foundation, European FP6 and IMI JU 
programs, Roche Postdoc Fellowship Program (RPF-program), unrestricted research 
grants from Novartis and Biogen. L. Kappos reports, the University Hospital 
Basel as employer of Dr. Kappos has received and dedicated to research support 
fees for board membership, consultancy or speaking, or grants, in the last 3 
years from Actelion, Advancell, Allozyne, Bayer, Bayhill, Biogen Idec, BioMarin, 
CSL Behring, Eli Lilly, European Union, GeNeuro, Genmab, Gianni Rubatto 
Foundation, Glenmark, Merck Serono, MediciNova, Mitsubishi Pharma, Novartis, 
Novartis Research Foundation, Novonordisk, Peptimmune, Roche, Roche Research 
Foundation, Sanofi-Aventis, Santhera, Swiss MS Society, Swiss National Research 
Foundation, Teva, UCB, and Wyeth. D. Leppert is an employee of F. Hoffmann-La 
Roche Ltd. A. Petzold reports no disclosure. G. Giovannoni has received research 
grant support from Bayer–Schering Healthcare, Biogen–Idec, GW Pharma, Merck 
Serono, Merz, Novartis, Teva and Sanofi–Aventis. He has received personal 
compensation for participating on Advisory Boards in relation to clinical trial 
design, trial steering committees and data and safety monitoring committees 
from: Bayer–Schering Healthcare, Biogen–Idec, Eisai, Elan, Fiveprime, Genzyme, 
Genentech, GSK, Ironwood, Merck–Serono, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi–Aventis, 
Synthon BV, Teva, UCB Pharma and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. J. Kuhle has received 
research support from the Swiss MS Society, Swiss ALS Society, Protagen AG, 
Roche and Novartis and served in scientific advisory boards for 
Genzyme/Sanofi-Aventis, Merck Serono and Novartis Pharma. His work is supported 
by an ECTRIMS Research Fellowship Programme and by the “Forschungsfonds” of the 
University of Basel, Switzerland. This does not alter the authors' adherence to 
all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.