Strong data from 16-yr follow-up of Schering AG's Betaferon

German drugmaker Schering AG says that its multiple sclerosis drug Betaferon (interferon beta-1b) remained consistently safe, effective and well-tolerated over the long-term, according to results from its 16-year follow-up study, the longest of its kind for this indication.

The results, which were presented at the 58th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, demonstrated that patients with relapsing forms of MS on Betaferon (known as Betaseron in the USA) had a sustained reduction in the annual rate of relapses of up to 40% over the full course of the evaluation.

The data also showed that patients remaining on long-term Betaferon treatment had slower disease-progression compared to those who did not. Among the subjects who reached an EDSS level of 6.0 (which indicates those needing a cane for walking), those on long-term Betaferon treatment reached EDSS 6.0 after a median time of 13 years compared to seven years for patients on short-term treatment.