The two drugs currently on the market used to treat MS with Interferon beta 1a are Avonex® and Rebif®. Interferon beta 1a is produced by mammalian cells and therefore is as close to the natural interferon as possible.
Avonex® IFN beta-1a, is manufactured and marketed by Biogen Idec Inc. (USA). It was first introduced in Canada in 1998 for RRMS and later on for CIS.
Rebif® (Interferon beta-1a) was first launched in 1998 in Canada by Serono.
Interferon beta-1a works in several different ways, blocking T-cell migration, disrupting T-cell activation and proliferation, thus modifying the underlying pathogenic process treating the causes of MS and not just the symptoms.
