Biogen's Avonex prefilled syringe approved in EU

The European Agency for Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) has approved Biogen's new Avonex formulation (Interferon β-1a) in a prefilled syringe. The EMEA decision is valid in all 15 member countries of the EU as well as in Norway and Iceland, and follows FDA approval of the syringe in the US in May. There will be a phased launch throughout Europe beginning in the summer, and the prefilled syringe formulation will replace the currently available form of Avonex. The new formulation is designed to increase convenience for sufferers of multiple sclerosis by making the once-a-week treatment easier to administer. As with the current form of Avonex, the new formulation is indicated to slow the progression of disability and reduce the frequency of relapses in relapsing remitting forms of MS.