Medicine: Drug blow for MS sufferers

Thursday 15 January 1998 00:02 GMT

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Claims made by the manufacturers of a new drug for multiple sclerosis, are "not convincing" according to the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.

The Bulletin, a Which?-style guide published by the Consumers' Association, says trial evidence for inter-feron-beta1a does not support the claim made by Biogen, the firm that markets the drug as Avonex, that it slows the progression of disability over two years.

The news is a blow to the UK's 80,000 MS sufferers although the drug is only suitable for those with the relapsing-remitting form of the disease.

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Medicine: Drug blow for MS sufferers

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