Plegridy – the Latest FDA Approved Disease Modifying Therapy for MS

[ActiveMSers]

Every other week under-the-skin injections instead of weekly injections with a BIG HONKIN' NEEDLE? I do see some advantages the Pledridy, the newest FDA-approved MS drug, especially if I were taking Avonex. But there are many other MS drugs on the market more powerful.... - Dave

Posted by Laura Kolaczkowski—August 18th, 2014

The FDA announced on August 15, they have given approval to Plegridy for use in the United States for treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. Plegridy becomes the 11th drug approved by the FDA for use in the US. Plegridy was approved one month early by the European Commission for use in 28 European countries.

This disease modifying therapy (DMT) is made by Biogen Idec, and is a peginterferon beta-1a drug. It is an injectable drug, but instead of being given once a week like Avonex, Biogen Idec’s other interferon drug, Plegridy will be injected every two weeks. There is also a difference that Avonex is given intramuscularly whereas Plegridy can be injected subcutaneously (just under the skin). Plegridy has the same active ingredient as Avonex but has had a polymer called polyethylene glycol (peg) added to it that allows it to remain in the body for a longer period of time, hence reducing the frequency of the injections. Biogen Idec releases say they expect the cost of Plegridy to be about the same as Avonex, which is around $59,000 per year.

http://multiplesclerosis.net/news/pl...fying-therapy/

[ActiveMSers]

A story from the Boston Globe. - Dave

Boston Globe

Scrambling to stay ahead of the competition in bringing multiple sclerosis drugs to market, Biogen Idec Inc. won US regulatory approval Friday to sell a new type of injectable drug that treats adults with the most common form of the neurodegenerative disease.

Food and Drug Administration regulators approved the Cambridge biotech’s application to market the drug, called Plegridy, as a longer-lasting treatment for US patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The approval came less than a month after the European Commission approved Biogen Idec’s medicine for sale in 28 countries across the Atlantic.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous systems of at least 400,000 people in the United States and more than 2.3 million globally. It disrupts communication between the brain and other parts of the body, over time causing muscle weakness, loss of balance, and a progressive decline in physical functions.

Plegridy has the same active ingredient, interferon beta, as Biogen Idec’s first MS drug, Avonex, which is still being sold. But the company attached a polymer called polyethylene glycol, or peg, to Plegridy that increases the exposure of the drug, allowing patients to take doses less frequently. While Avonex has to be injected into the muscle once a week, Plegridy can be taken by injection every two weeks, administered under the skin with a prefilled auto-injector.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/...EkJ/story.html

[ActiveMSers]

MS Research sums it up pretty succinctly:

So another interferon on the market, which makes it hang around longer, but doesn't make it work better.

http://multiple-sclerosis-research.b...in-europe.html

[Marinadca]

I suppose their must be a market for this drug out there, but there are so many more effective treatments without needing an injection, I'd like to see more options there!