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Drug for multiple sclerosis reaches Japan

Avonex (Biogen Idec, MA, USA), a drug indicated for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), has reached Japan. It was first launched in 1994 in the USA and later in Europe and it is now serving approximately 130,000 patients in more than 90 countries worldwide. MS is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks myelin, the insulating sheath covering nerve fibers, resulting in the failure in signal transmission from the brain to other body parts. The onset is usually at 20–50 years of age and the disease is chronic. Patients with MS have various symptoms, including difficulty in movement and loss of vision and hearing. MS affects more than 1 million people worldwide, 400,000 of whom are from North America. In Japan, approximately 12,000 patients have been diagnosed with MS, with the number of undiagnosed cases believed to be high. Most Japanese patients with acute MS only pursue short courses of treatment and there is a high drop-out rate in long-term therapy owing to side effects and low efficacy. “MS is a debilitating disease that remains undertreated in Japan and we believe patients can benefit greatly from the availability of a new treatment option,” said Toshio Nakata, President of Biogen Idec Japan. “Anovex is the leading choice for prescribing physicians and their MS patients because it offers efficacy and a convenient dosing regime that patients can adhere to over the long term.” Anovex is an interferon (IFN)-β1a and is currently the only drug for MS that can be administered once a week. It has proven efficient in slowing down the disease progression and reducing relapse frequency in various clinical trials, with side effects being influenza-like symptoms. Anovex is the most prescribed treatment currently for relapsing MS worldwide and was approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in July 2006. “For more than a decade, Biogen Idec has been committed to advancing the treatment of MS and we look forward to extending that dedication to serve patients and their families in Japan,” said James Mullen, Chief Executive Officer of Biogen Idec. “The introduction of Anovex to the Japanese MS community continues our mission of developing important therapeutics to patients around the world.” Initially, the drug has been introduced to hospitals in Japan and it is expected to become more widely available in the near future.