Interferon Beta-1b Reduces Neurologic Damage in MS Patients

Bayer Schering Pharma AG (Berlin, Germany) recently presented the data at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

"Some patients have already developed significant neurological damage when they first present with signs of MS, which can lead to accumulated disability later in life. The BENEFIT results clearly show that immediate treatment with Betaferon initiated after the first clinical event can significantly reduce that damage, which could translate into a greater delay in the time it takes for patients to suffer from the debilitating consequences of MS,” said Dr. Mark S. Freedman, professor of neurology at the University of Ottawa and investigator of the study. "This is a truly novel finding that has not yet been demonstrated for any other immunomodulatory MS treatment, and underscores the urgent need to treat patients early rather than waiting for further signs of MS to develop. Physicians and patients should consider these unprecedented findings when making treatment decisions.”

Immediate treatment refers to treatment initiated after the first clinical event; delayed treatment is initiated after the second clinical event or after two years, whatever comes first.

"We are delighted that the BENEFIT study continues to deliver ground-breaking results,” said Darlene Jody, M.D., president of Bayer HealthCare's Specialized Therapeutics Global Business Unit. "In the past year, Betaferon has received approval around the world for use in patients with the earliest signs of MS. We intend to submit this novel data for inclusion in our label. Regulatory approval would further differentiate Betaferon from other products in the market place and strengthen our position.”

BENEFIT is a multi-center trial conducted at 98 sites in 20 countries and included patients presenting with a single clinical episode suggestive of MS. A total of 468 patients with a first clinical demyelinating event suggestive of MS and typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were randomized to receive either 250 micrograms of interferon beta-1b every other day or placebo as a subcutaneous injection in a double-blind fashion. The placebo-controlled treatment period lasted up to 24 months or up to the time when patients were diagnosed with clinically definite MS. All study participants were then invited to participate in a follow-up study with Betaferon to prospectively assess the impact of such immediate versus delayed treatment with Betaferon on the long-term course of the disease for a total observation time of five years.

Results from a prospectively planned analysis of patients three years after the first event suggestive of MS showed that immediate treatment with Betaferon after the first event suggestive of MS reduced the risk for confirmed EDSS progression by 40% over three years compared to delayed treatment. At three years, patients who initiated Betaferon treatment immediately were 41% less likely to progress to clinically definite MS versus patients who began treatment later. These results confirm the findings of the placebo-controlled BENEFIT study. At the end of three years, 73% of patients were on Betaferon treatment after the first event suggestive of MS.

Betaferon, which is marketed in the United States and Canada under the trademark Betaseron, was the first disease-modifying drug introduced for MS and is a well-established treatment around the world. In the United States, Europe, and Japan, Betaferon has been approved for all relapsing forms of MS. It is able to reduce the number of MS episodes by one-third, and the frequency of moderate to severe episodes by as much as 50%. Sixteen years' follow up of people treated with Betaferon has shown that it is safe and well tolerated.


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