Biogen Idec seeks FDA OK for new MS Injectible drug

Biogen Idec Inc., which cemented its place as the dominant multiple sclerosis drug maker in March when it won US approval to sell an MS pill, said Tuesday it has applied to the Food and Drug Administration to market a third injectable MS drug.

The drug, called Plegridy, is a new version of the Weston biotechnology company’s first — and hugely successful — MS treatment, Avonex. While both drugs have the same active ingredient, interferon beta, Biogen Idec has attached a polymer called polyethylene glycol, or peg, to Plegridy that increases the exposure of the drug, allowing patients to take doses less frequently.

And unlike Avonex and other MS drugs received through intramuscular injections, Plegridy would be administered subcutaneously, or under the skin, which is less painful.

“We see this as part of our commitment to MS patients,” said Douglas E. Williams, Biogen Idec’s executive vice president of research and development. “It’s a convenient version of a drug that’s been on the market for many years and has a track record of safety and efficacy.”

Williams said Plegridy met its goals of reducing the disease’s effects — including relapses and worsening disabilities — in a late-stage clinical trial when it was given to patients every other week rather than the weekly dosing used for those taking Avonex and other interferon drugs.

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