Early Betaferon use cuts MS disability risk

According to data from the BENEFIT study, patients treated with Betaferon (interferon beta-1b; sold as Betaseron in the USA and Canada) shortly after their first multiple sclerosis attack, had a 40% lower chance of developing confirmed disability, when compared with people in whom therapy was delayed.

The program, which was sponsored by the drug's developer Bayer Schering Pharma AG, part of Germany's Bayer group, recruited 468 patients at 98 sites worldwide. MS progression was assessed using the expanded disability status scale.

The firm said that analysis had confirmed the robustness of the results, and added that even the development of neutralizing antibodies to the drug had not had an impact on either disability- or disease-related study outcomes. In addition, 90% of those treated elected to continue therapy for an additional year on completion of the original study.