Betaseron Is Schering's Most Successful Drug Ever

Berlin, Germany-based drugmaker Schering AG has said that its pacemaking new drug Betaseron (interferon beta) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis is its most successful product ever. Spokesman Ulrich Koestlin said Schering had never had a product which has reached such a sales volume level in in the short time since launch.

The application for European marketing approval is in the pipeline, following the launch in the USA in 1993, where high growth rates continue to be reported. Mr Koestlin declined to comment on reports of side effects which, it has been claimed, had led to the product being withdrawn from some patients. He said treatment in the first two months was "unpleasant," and noted that flu-like symptoms could occur. The drug could not cure MS, but it does slow down the progress of the disease.

Further easing of treatment would occur with the introduction of needle-free injection using air pressure. Research is also going on to see how much the product can help patients in whom MS is well advanced.