PRESS RELEASE
New Betaferon® Injection System Provides Easier, More Convenient Treatment Method for People Living with Multiple Sclerosis
Berlin, Germany, February 1, 2007 – Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, today announced the availability of a new injection system to provide greater flexibility and convenience for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are using Betaferon®. This improved system will be released throughout Europe in the course of 2007, and will replace the Betaferon syringe currently on the market. Betaferon® was the first disease-modifying drug introduced for MS and is a well-established therapy worldwide.
"The advanced injection technology is designed to better meet the needs of MS patients and to help make administration of the drug as easy and convenient as possible," said Dr. Christoph Taschke, Head of European Business Unit Specialized Therapeutics, Bayer Schering Pharma AG. “Changes to the Betaferon injection system represent the latest innovation from Bayer Schering Pharma to help patients with MS better manage their condition, and are based on our long-standing commitment to improving their quality of life. The drug itself, however, has not been altered.”
The New System At-A-Glance
The following provides a snapshot of changes made to the Betaferon® injection system to make adherence to drug regimens easier for people living with MS:
1. Improved application system:
- The New Betaferon® syringe – using the thinnest needle (30G) available for MS treatments on the market to increase comfort and lower injection-related pain.
- The New Mixject® adapter – comes with the needle pre-attached and requires fewer steps to dissolve the Betaferon® powder thus simplifying the preparation process.
2. New multipack – includes 15 single-use packs, each containing everything a patient needs for their injection. This packaging provides added convenience, especially when patients travel.
3. New autoinjectors – Autoinjectors are medical devices that allow automatic drug delivery at the right injection depth and speed. The two autoinjectors, BETAJECT® Comfort and BETAJECT® Lite, were developed recognizing that patients’ needs change throughout the course of the disease and the drug only works if patients inject it correctly. The two new autoinjectors were specially designed to satisfy the needs of MS patients. They will not only help make injecting easier, but also will limit injection site reactions (e.g., pain, stinging). The new technology facilitates individual administration of the drug to hard-to-reach locations and is especially useful for those patients who have a fear of injecting themselves.
As part of Bayer Schering Pharma’s ongoing efforts to provide practical solutions to people with MS, dedicated Betaferon® nurses will be available 24/7 to assist patients in switching from the old to the new application system.
Additional information
ABOUT MS
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which consists of the brain, spinal cord and optic (eye) nerves. It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, meaning an individual’s own immune system attacks their healthy cells and tissue. When this occurs, myelin, the protective insulation surrounding nerve fibers of the CNS, is destroyed and replaced by scars. Ultimately this damage interferes with nerve communication between the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, which causes MS symptoms.
ABOUT BETAFERON
As the first disease-modifying drug introduced for MS, Betaferon®/Betaseron® is a well established treatment around the world. Betaferon® has the broadest indication of any MS medication in the US, Europe and Japan. Betaferon® has been approved for clinically isolated syndroms in high risk patients, in relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive forms of MS. It is able to reduce the number of MS episodes by one-third, and the frequency of moderate to severe episodes by as much as 50 percent. Sixteen years’ follow up of people treated with Betaferon has shown that it is safe and well tolerated.
