Schering AG's Betaferon cuts risk of clinical MS

German drugmaker Schering AG says that the results from a trial of Betaferon (interferon beta-1b), which is marketed as Betaseron in the USA, show that the drug reduces the risk of developing clinically-identified multiple sclerosis. The data, which were published in the on-line version of the journal Neurology, showed that a 250mcg dose of the drug every other day lowered the risk of clinical MS 50% compared with placebo.

The trial, known as BENEFIT (Betaferon in Newly Emerging Multiple Sclerosis of Initial Treatment), was a Phase III examination that enrolled 487 patients presenting with a single clinical episode suggestive of the disease. Participants were randomized to receive the drug, or placebo, every other-day via subcutaneous injection for a period of 24 months, or until they experienced a second attack which could be identified as MS.

Commenting on the results, Ludwig Kappos, professor of neurology at the University of Basel, Switzerland, said: "it is important for patients to be diagnosed and offered effective treatment options early. It is known that irreversible neurological damage can occur before a definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis is established." Dr Kappos went on to say that the results of the study suggest that Betaferon can significantly delay the progression of the condition.