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Biogen Idec has enrolled its first patient in a Phase 3 trial for a potential multiple sclerosis treatment that, when compared with existing therapies, would reduce the number of injections patients must receive.
The trial, called ADVANCE, will determine the efficacy and safety of Biogen’s drug target, called PEGylated interferon beta-1a, in reducing relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis (RMS).
The global study will enroll more than 1,200 patients with relpsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) between the ages of 18 and 55. The study’s goal is to determine whether the drug reduces the annualized relapse rate in patients with RMS at one year. The study will also examine if, over time, the potential treatment can slow disease progression and lead to a decrease in the number of a certain kind of brain lesions commonly seen in MS patients.
The treatment is a combination of Interferon beta-1a, which has been used successfully to treat MS for more than 10 years, and PEGylation, which can extend the amount of time a drug remains in a patient’s system. If the trial is successful, the treatment has the potential to reduce the frequency of treatment injections and provide patients with an effective and more convenient dosing option.
Biogen’s (NASDAQ: BIIB) stock was trading at $49.33 in morning trading on Monday, down from the previous close of $51.67.
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