September 1, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Interferon Beta-1b Effective, Safe for Older MS Patients: Real-world Study A real-world study confirmed the effectiveness and safety of interferon beta-1b in treating older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), those over the age of 40. āThese findings from a real-world setting are promising and demonstrate the positive benefit-risk ratio for [interferon beta-1b] in this study population of middle-aged and…
September 16, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Newer DMTs More Effective Than Older Injectables in Pediatric MS, Study Says Using newer disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) as an initial treatment for children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis (MS) or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is associated with fewer relapses and brain lesions compared to the use of older and injectable DMTs, according to a real-world study in the U.S.
August 29, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Poor Sleep Common in MS, Linked to Fatigue, Depression, and Anxiety, Study Reports Poor sleep quality is very common among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), and is associated with a lower quality of life, and greater fatigue, depression and anxiety, according to a real-world study in patients treated with Betaferon (interferon beta-1b). The study, ā…
August 21, 2018 News by Janet Stewart, MSc Consecutive Use of Gilenya and Lemtrada Causes Disease Activity in MS Patient, Case Report Suggests Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients may experience severe disease exacerbation after switching fromĀ NovartisāĀ Gilenya (fingolimod) to Sanofi Genzymeās LemtradaĀ (alemtuzumab), a case report suggests. This unexpected high disease activity raises questions about managing MS through the consecutive use of immunotherapies. The case report, āUnexpected high multiple…
February 27, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias What’s Hot and What’s Not Among MS Therapies? The newest kids on the MS block, disease-modifying therapies (DMT) such as Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Sanofi Genzyme’s Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), are attracting a lot of interest these days. But, some DMTs that have been around for more than two decades are still being prescribed by a lot of neurologists.
February 13, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Bayer Introduces Self-injecting Device to Help Growing Number of MS Patients in Middle East An increaseĀ in multiple sclerosisĀ cases in the Middle East and North Africa has promptedĀ BayerĀ to introduce to the region an injector that patients can use to treat themselves. Researchers have suggested that increases in the region’s cases stem from many people adopting Western lifestyles, including smoking and using sun…
October 9, 2017 News by Ashraf Malhas, PhD BETACONNECT Auto-injector Helps MS Patients Stick with Treatment, Study Reports Most multiple sclerosis patients who try Bayer’sĀ BETACONNECTĀ auto-injector stick with their treatment, a study reports. The electronic product may overcome the problem of many patients failing to stick to a therapy Ā schedule because of what they consider hassles connected with injections. An auto-injector is one that patients can use…
June 9, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Self-Injecting Betaseron? There’s Now an App for That 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…
June 5, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Approves Two Bayer Products to Help MS Patients Stay on Top of Interferon Injections The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a supplemental biologics license application for two BayerĀ products that helpĀ multiple sclerosisĀ patients keep track of their injections ofĀ Betaseron (interferon beta-1b). The products are theĀ myBETAapp and theĀ Betaconnect Navigator software.Ā A biologics license application is a request for permission to market…
May 26, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC17 – Relapse After First Lemtrada Course No Indication of Poor Long-Term Outcome, Study Finds Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who experienced a relapse between their first and second rounds of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) had good treatment outcomes over the long run, according to a Phase 3 clinical trial. Those who relapsed after their first round ended up with annual relapse rates similar to those who didn’t…
December 15, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Accepts Bayer’s Supplemental BLA for myBETAapp and BETACONNECT Navigator for MS Patients The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted Bayerās filing of a supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) for two products designed to improve the lives of people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS): myBETAapp and the BETACONNECT Navigator. Bayer created the BETACONNECT systemĀ to increase patient treatment compliance and improve…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Interview with Bayer’s VP and General Manager on Betaconnect/Betaseron and Customized Therapy Global pharmaĀ Bayer HealthcareĀ aims toĀ improve human health by diagnosing, preventing, and treating a variety of diseases. The company currently provides products for general medicine, hematology, neurology, oncology, and women’s healthcare. In 1993, Bayer’s BetaseronĀ (interferon beta-1b) became the first disease-modifying drugĀ to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Ā for…
September 29, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Approves BETACONNECT Autoinjector for BETASERON Delivery Bayer HealthCare is pleased to announce the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the approval ofĀ BETACONNECT, a first-of-its-kind electronic autoinjector indicated as a treatment forĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). For now, theĀ drug delivery device is only compatible with BETASERONĀ®Ā (interferon beta-1b), and will soon be available come early 2016. Ā While…
May 21, 2015 News by admin 11-Year Follow-up of Bayer’s BENEFIT Interferon-beta1b Treatment Reveals Positive Results For MS Patients Results from the BENEFIT11 trial indicate thatĀ early treatment with IFNB-1b leads to improvements inĀ cognition and fatigue in the long-term, as well as sustained employment and favorable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes, measured at the 11-year mark. Supported byĀ Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, the study, titled “Long-term Impact of Early MS Treatment with…
April 27, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Accepts Bayerās BETACONNECT License Application for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Bayer HealthCareĀ recently announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the filing of a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for BETACONNECT forĀ the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). BETACONNECT isĀ a new drug delivery option for patients under Bayerās BETASERONĀ® (interferon beta-1b) therapy. MS is a…