Teva's Copaxone: "less relapses than Avonex"

Israeli pharmaceutical major Teva says that relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients failing Avonex (interferon beta-1a) therapy achieved significant reductions in relapse rates and in Expanded Disability Status Scale scores after switching to its drug Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection).

In a study published in the June issue of the European Journal of Neurology, Teva's selective selective MHC class II modulator reduced annual relapse rate an additional 57% over US drugmaker Biogen Idec's Avonex. In addition, neurologic disability as measured by the EDSS did not worsen in 86% of Copaxone patients. The drug is already approved in 44 countries worldwide.