Advertise With UsAdvertise on our extensive network of industry websites and newsletters.
Get the PBR newsletterSign up to our free email to get all the latest PBR
news.Avonex, a popular multiple sclerosis therapy, is now available in Japan, its manufacturer Biogen Idec has said.
Subscribe to our email newsletter
In July 2006, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare approved Avonex for the prevention of MS relapse. Avonex is the first new MS treatment available in Japan in six years.
In international clinical trials, Avonex has been proven to slow the progression of disability and reduce the frequency of clinical relapses, as well as delay the development of clinically definite MS.
Biogen Idec said it expects that Avonex will be introduced in Japan to hospitals with MS experts, and it will become more widely available. There are approximately 12,000 people diagnosed with MS in Japan.
“Avonex is the leading choice for prescribing physicians and their MS patients because it offers proven efficacy and a convenient dosing regimen that patients can adhere to over the long term,” said Toshio Nakata, president of Biogen Idec Japan. “MS is a debilitating disease that remains under-treated in Japan, and we believe patients can benefit greatly from the availability of a new treatment option.”