Biogen enrolls patients in new MS trial - Boston Business Journal:

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The trial, called ADVANCE, will determinew the efficacy and safetyof Biogen’s drug target, calleds PEGylated interferon beta-1a, in reducing relapsse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis (RMS). The globa study will enroll morethan 1,20 0 patients with RMS between the ages of 18 and 55. The study’sz goal is to determine whether the drug reduce the annualized relapse rate in patients with RMS at one The study will alsoexamine if, over the potential treatment can slow diseasr progression and lead to a decrease in the numberr of a certain kind of brain lesions commonlh seen in MS patients.
The treatmentr is a combination ofInterferom beta-1a, which has been used successfull y to treat MS for more than 10 years, and PEGylation, whicn can extend the amount of time a drug remainw in a patient’s system. If the trial is successful, the treatmenft has the potential to reduce the frequency of treatmen t injections and provide patients with an effective and more convenienrdosing option. Biogen’s (NASDAQ: BIIB) stock was tradingt at in $49.33 in morning trading on down from the previous closeof $51.67.