This one's from the maker (Biogen Idec) of the drug I use (Tecfidera). From the MSAA article: "On August 15, 2014, Biogen Idec announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved Plegridy™ (peginterferon beta-1a) for the long-term treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Manufactured by Biogen Idec, this new medication is the 11th disease-modifying therapy (DMT) to be approved for MS since the early 1990s. Plegridy is given once every two weeks through a subcutaneous self-injection."
Yet another injectable, but at least it is every two weeks, so much better than daily. People who takes injectables for MS suffer from "injection fatigue" as well as a beesting-like pain and scar tissue at all the various injection sites on their bodies. This new form of the interferon therapy should be a boon for many. It still has the flu-like symptoms as a potential side effect, but that is nothing new with MS patients taking injectable disease modifying therapies (DMTs).
Keep in mind, this is yet another treatment for the relapsing remitting form of MS (RRMS). For those progressive forms of MS (primary progressive or PPMS, secondary progressive or SPMS, and progressive relapsing or PRMS), there are still NO treatments for halting progression. (There is no cure for any form of MS, only DMTs which show a slow-down or halting in disease progression.)
