Biogen Inc.,
the maker of the $1 billion multiple sclerosis drug Avonex, said
the medicine won U.S. regulatory approval for expanded use.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the treatment can
now be used for patients that have their first attack from the
disease, Biogen said in a statement.
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The expanded indication may help Biogen stave off competition
from Serono SA’s Rebif and Schering AG’s Betaseron. Last month,
Biogen reported fourth-quarter Avonex sales fell 1.2 percent to
$256.3 million.
An estimated 400,000 people in the U.S. and 1 million
worldwide have multiple sclerosis, a degenerative nerve condition
marked by numbness, blurred vision and loss of coordination.
Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biogen shares rose 50 cents to
$40.58 as of 9:48 a.m. in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. They have
fallen 21 percent this year.
Bloomberg News
