Biogen Idec (NSDQ:BIIB) announced European approval on an injectable pen that delivers its top-selling multiple sclerosis drug Avonex.
Avonex is used as a treatment for relapsing forms of MS. The drug slows the progression of physical disability and reduces relapses.
Weston, Mass.-based Biogen makes Avonex at a manufacturing facility in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park.
The company designed the pen to make administration of Avonex easier for the patient, making it more convenient and less anxiety-inducing for patients uncomfortable with injections, Douglas Williams, Biogen’s executive VP for research and development said in a statement.
Biogen already has an approved prefilled syringe. The pen’s features include a shorter needle, a protective shield and a safety lock to prevent injection error. Prior to approval, Biogen took the pen through a multicenter clinical study that evaluated the pen’s safety and efficacy.
Biogen is carving a niche in MS products. Avonex is the company’s biggest product and generated more than $2.5 billion in 2010 revenue. The company’s second biggest product is Tysabri, an intravenous MS drug that is also made in RTP. The company is developing a new MS drug that would be available as a pill. That drug candidate, BG-12, has shown positive results so far in clinical trials.
