Bayer: Early Betaferon treatment can delay MS progression

Bayer has announced the publication of five-year data showing that early treatment with Betaferon (interferon beta-1b) can delay the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).

According to the Benefit study, treatment with the compound at first signs of the disease can delay the onset of clinically-definite MS by 37 per cent and McDonald MS by 45 per cent.

Furthermore, the effect of Betaferon on cognition was found to be more pronounced over time, with patients given early treatment having better mean Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test scores at five years compared to those with delayed therapy.

The results were presented last week at the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Montreal, Canada.

Dr Mark Freedman, professor of neurology at the University of Ottawa, said: “The Benefit five-year results are the first and only prospective data to confirm a continuous benefit over five years when treatment is initiated shortly after the earliest sign of MS.”

He added that improvements in cognitive function have significant implications for the quality of life with patients and can be a key reason for early departure for employment in MS patients.

In December 2007, Bayer Schering Pharma confirmed the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommended the Betaferon label include new results from the Benefit trial.