Biogen-Schering Battle Over MS German Market

Us biotechnology group Biogen has said that it is aiming to become themarket leader in Germany for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, with a view to overtaking Berlin-based drugmaker Schering AG.

Torgen Goesch, managing director of Biogen Deutschland, says that the company is planning high levels of investment made possible through the favorable capital position of the US parent company. The firm obtained US marketing approval for its agent Avonex (interferon beta-1a) in May 1996, followed by European approval in March this year.

Sales for Avonex in the first half of 1997 reached $109 million and, while Biogen has declined to forecast sales and patient trends, it says that 1,500 patients have become users of Avonex in Europe since the launch. In the USA, the company claims to have captured 60% of the market, with around 30,000 patients.