Betaseron

Betaseron was the first therapy approved in the United States to treat relapsing-remitting MS. In January 2002, the FDA approved a new room-temperature formulation of Betaseron. Betaseron is the first and only interferon therapy available as a room-temperature formulation (25.C/77.F) for MS, providing a convenient option for MS patients in the Unit... ed States. The recommended dose of Betaseron (interferon beta-1b ) is 250 mcg (8 MIUs) every other day, which delivers an average total of 875 mcg (28 MIUs) per week. Serious side effects include depression, suicide, suicidal ideation, and injection site necrosis (skin breakdown, drainage of fluid and tissue destruction), which have been reported in 5 percent of patients in a controlled MS trial. The necrotic lesions are typically 3 cm or less in diameter, but larger areas have been reported, and they may occur at single or multiple sites. Common side effects of Betaseron therapy include flu-like symptoms, shortness of breath, menstrual disorders, and injection site reactions (redness, pain, swelling, and blue-black discoloration have been reported).Read More