Columns The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias Self-Injecting Betaseron? There’s Now an App for That Self-Injecting Betaseron? There’s Now an App for That by Ed Tobias | June 9, 2017 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link Have you ever hit a brick wall trying to self-inject? I have. It was with Avonex, the first DMD that I used. To make a long story short, after a couple of years of poking myself in the thigh muscle, I just couldn’t do it anymore. That’s why an announcement this week from Bayer, the maker of Betaseron, caught my attention. (Courtesy of Bayer) Bayer has developed a way to link its Betaconnect autoinjector, via Bluetooth, to a smartphone app called myBETAapp. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved its license. Using myBETAapp, or the web-based Betaconnect Navigator, patients can share their injection data with their BETA Nurse and their healthcare team. A Bayer news release says this will allow that team to follow the patient’s injection history and provide support to those injecting Betaseron. āSince introducing the first FDA approved treatment option for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients more than two decades ago, weāve listened closely to the community to understand their needs and how we can support them,ā says Mark Rametta, Bayerās medical director for neurology. āThe myBETAapp and BETACONNECT Navigator add to the services that weāve developed based on patient feedback, including 24/7 access to nurse support and the first and only electronic autoinjector for patients taking BETASERON.” Now, maybe this sort of monitoring isn’t for you. It is sort of “Big Brother” watching. But for me, having this type of monitoring available would have meant I wouldn’t have been able to delay shots or sometimes even skip them when I hit my wall with Avonex, because someone would be watching. Someone would know and, if so, I might have stayed on Avonex longer than I did. (Courtesy of Bayer) On the other hand, hitting that wall resulted in my moving from Avonex to Tysabri, which I think was a good thing in the long run. If you’re injecting Betaseron, and this sort of monitoring is for you, the myBETAapp will be available for free download at the Apple app store, Google Play, or at Betaseron.com. The myMS app I recently wrote about another app that involves sharing information with your healthcare provider. It’s called myMS, and patients would use it to track self-tests of their walking, mental ability, and vision. They would also answer lifeāquality questions, upload their brain MRIs, and could even add the results of a genetic test. The myMS app is currently in a pilot study at the University of Southern Californiaās Keck School of Medicine.Ā App users will be able to view their results, graph them over time, and compare them to other people using the app. Theyāll also be able to see high-resolution images of their MRIs and access their genetic information, all on their smartphone. And, importantly, theyāll be able to share all of that data with their physicians. The USC researchers want to determine whether MS patients will actually be willing to share this sort of information via an app. That willingness, or the lack of it, could affect whether the myBETAapp for injecting Betaseron is a success. *** Note:Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those ofĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today, or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis. Print This Page About the Author Ed Tobias People say to write what you know and Ed Tobias knows about MS. He's lived with the illness since 1980, when he was 32 years old. Ed's a retired, award-winning broadcast journalist and his column combines his four decades of MS experiences with news and comments about the latest in the MS community. In addition to writing his column, Ed is one of the patient moderators on the MS News Today Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sites. Heās also the author of āThe Multiple Sclerosis Toolbox: Hints and Tips for Living with M.S.ā Ed and his wife split their time between the Washington, D.C. suburbs and Floridaās Gulf Coast, trying to follow the sun. Tags Bayer, BETASERON Comments Leave a comment Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published. Your Name Your Email Your Comment Post Comment
April 24, 2024 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Autoantibodies seen in blood years before MS diagnosis: Study
April 23, 2024 News by Mary Chapman Itās year 10 for MSAAās upcoming Improving Lives Benefit for MS
April 23, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD AAN 2024: Subcutaneous Ocrevus led to nearly no relapses after year