Oral Cladribine in Early Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (ORACLE MS)

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Be male or female between 18 and 55 years old, inclusive (see Appendix C)
2. Must weigh between 40-120 kg, inclusive
3. Has experienced a single, first clinical event suggestive of MS within 75 days prior to the Screening visit, (clock starts 24 hours after onset). The event must be a new neurological abnormality present for at least 24 hours, either mono- or polysymptomatic, other than a paresthesia, vegetative or cerebral dysfunction
4. Has at least two clinically silent lesions on the T2-weighted MRI scan, at screening, with a size of at least 3 mm, at least one of which is ovoid or periventricular or infratentorial on screening MRI
5. Has EDSS 0 - 5.0 for at least one time point during the screening period before start of treatment with blinded study medication
6. Have no medical history or evidence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) or active tubercular disease (TB), as evidenced by TB skin test and/or chest X-ray
7. Hematological parameters must be normal (as defined by the central lab)

8. If female, she must:

   • be neither pregnant nor breast-feeding, nor attempting to conceive and
   • use a highly effective method of contraception throughout the entire duration of the study and for 90 days following completion of the last dose of study medication. A highly effective method of contraception is defined as those which result in a low failure rate (i.e. less than1% per year) when used consistently and correctly such as implants, injectables, combined oral contraceptives, some IUDs, sexual abstinence or vasectomized partner, or
   • be post-menopausal or surgically sterilized [Note: for Danish sites only, subjects should use a hormonal contraceptive or intrauterine device for the duration of the trial]
9. If male, he must be willing to use contraception to avoid contributing to pregnancies throughout the entire duration of the study and for 90 days following the last dose of study medication
10. Be willing and able to comply with study procedures for the duration of the study Voluntarily provide written informed consent, including, for USA, subject authorization under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (see Appendix J), prior to any study-related procedure that is not part of normal medical care, and with the understanding that the subject may withdraw consent at any time without prejudice to their future medical care.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Subject has a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (per McDonald criteria, 2005)
2. Subject has any other disease that could better explain the subject's signs and symptoms
3. Subject has complete transverse myelitis or bilateral optic neuritis
4. Subject uses or has used any other approved MS disease modifying drug (DMD)
5. Subject has used any investigational drug or undergone an experimental procedure within 12 weeks prior to SD1 with the exclusion of MS drug
6. Subject received oral or systemic corticosteroids or ACTH within 30 days prior to SD1
7. Subject has abnormal total bilirubin, or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or alkaline phosphatase
8. Subject suffers from current autoimmune disease
9. Subject suffers from psychiatric illness (including history of, or current, severe depressive disorders and/or suicidal ideation) that in the opinion of the investigator creates undue risk to the subject or could affect compliance with the study protocol
10. Subject suffers from major medical illness such as cardiac (e.g. angina, congestive heart failure or arrhythmia), endocrinologic, hepatic, immunologic, metabolic, renal, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, dermatologic, or other major disease that would preclude the administration of oral cladribine
11. Subject has a history of seizures
12. Subject has a known allergy to cladribine, IFN-beta, the excipient(s) of the study medications, or to gadolinium-DTPA
13. Has any renal condition that would preclude the administration of gadolinium (e.g. acute or chronic severe renal insufficiency (GFR < 30 mL/min/1.73m2)
14. Has a history of chronic or clinically significant hematological abnormalities
15. History of active or chronic infectious disease or any disease that compromises immune function (e.g. HIV+, HTLV-1, Lyme disease, LTBI or TB, insulin-dependent diabetes).
16. Subject has previously been screened in this study thus signed an informed consent and than withdrawn
17. Subject has received any immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive therapy) at any time prior to Screening, including, but not limited to, the following products: any interferon, glatiramer acetate (Copolymer I), cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, methotrexate, linomide, azathioprine, mitoxantrone, teriflunomide, laquinimod, cladribine, total lymphoid irradiation, anti-lymphocyte monoclonal antibody treatment (e.g. natalizumab, alemtuzumab/Campath, anti-CD4), intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG), cytokines or anti-cytokine therapy
18. Subject has received experimental MS treatment
19. Subject has a history of alcohol or drug abuse
20. Subject has intolerance or any contraindication to both paracetamol (acetaminophen) and ibuprofen
21. Inability to administer subcutaneous injections either by self or by caregiver
22. Has prior or current malignancy (with the exception of in situ basal or squamous cell skin cancer surgically removed without recurrence for at least five years) Have a positive stool heme-occult test at Screening