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Stay the course with the
#1 prescribed
interferon
for relapsing MS1,a

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of experience treating patients1
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aThis information is an estimate derived from the use of information under license from the following IQVIA information service: IQVIA NPA® NBRx monthly data for the period March 2015–February 2021.

Indication

AVONEX® (interferon beta-1a) is indicated for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), to include clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease, and active secondary progressive disease, in adults.

Important Safety Information

CONTRAINDICATIONS

  • AVONEX is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to natural or recombinant interferon beta, or any other component of the formulation
  • The formerly available lyophilized vial formulation of AVONEX is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to albumin (human)

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Depression, Suicide, and Psychotic Disorders

  • Patients treated with AVONEX and their caregivers should be advised to report immediately any symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation, and/or psychosis to their prescribing physician. If a patient develops depression or other severe psychiatric symptoms, cessation of AVONEX therapy should be considered. Depression and suicide have been reported to occur with increased frequency in patients receiving AVONEX. Additionally, there have been postmarketing reports of depression, suicidal ideation, and/or development of new or worsening of other pre-existing psychiatric disorders, including psychosis. For some of these patients, symptoms of depression improved upon cessation of AVONEX

Hepatic Injury

  • Severe hepatic injury, including cases of hepatic failure, has been reported rarely in patients taking AVONEX. Asymptomatic elevation of hepatic transaminases has also been reported, and in some patients has recurred upon rechallenge with AVONEX. In some cases, these events have occurred in the presence of other drugs that have been associated with hepatic injury. The potential risk of AVONEX used in combination with known hepatotoxic drugs or other products (e.g., alcohol) should be considered prior to starting AVONEX, or before starting hepatotoxic drugs. Patients should be monitored for signs of hepatic injury

Anaphylaxis and Other Allergic-Reactions

  • Anaphylaxis has been reported as a rare complication of AVONEX use. Other allergic reactions have included dyspnea, orolingual edema, skin rash and urticaria. Discontinue AVONEX if anaphylaxis or other allergic reactions occur

Congestive Heart Failure

  • Patients with pre-existing congestive heart failure should be monitored for worsening of their cardiac condition during initiation of and continued treatment with AVONEX. While beta interferons do not have any known direct cardiac toxicity, during the postmarketing period cases of congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure have been reported in patients without known predisposition to these events, and without other etiologies being established

Decreased Peripheral Blood Counts

  • Decreased peripheral blood counts in all cell lines, including rare pancytopenia and thrombocytopenia, have been reported from postmarketing experience in AVONEX-treated patients

Thrombotic Microangiopathy

  • Cases of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), including thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and hemolytic uremic syndrome, some fatal, have been reported with interferon beta products, including AVONEX. Cases have been reported several weeks to years after starting interferon beta products. Discontinue AVONEX if clinical symptoms and laboratory findings consistent with TMA occur, and manage as clinically indicated

Seizures

  • Seizures have been temporally associated with the use of beta interferons in clinical trials and postmarketing safety surveillance. It is not known whether these events were related to the effects of multiple sclerosis alone, to AVONEX, or to a combination of both

Autoimmune Disorders

  • Postmarketing reports of autoimmune disorders of multiple target organs in AVONEX-treated patients included idiopathic thrombocytopenia, hyper- and hypothyroidism, and rare cases of autoimmune hepatitis. If AVONEX-treated patients develop a new autoimmune disorder, consider stopping the therapy

Laboratory Tests

  • In addition to those laboratory tests normally required for monitoring patients with multiple sclerosis, complete blood and differential white blood cell counts, platelet counts, and blood chemistries, including liver function tests, are recommended during AVONEX therapy. Patients with myelosuppression may require more intensive monitoring of complete blood cell counts, with differential and platelet counts. Thyroid function should be monitored periodically. If patients have or develop symptoms of thyroid dysfunction (hypo- or hyperthyroidism), thyroid function tests should be performed according to standard medical practice

MOST COMMON SIDE EFFECTS

  • The most commonly reported adverse reactions (at least 5% more frequent on AVONEX than on placebo) were flu-like symptoms. Symptoms can include chills, fever, myalgia and asthenia occurring within hours to days following an injection. The most frequently reported adverse reactions resulting in clinical intervention were flu-like symptoms and depression

References: 1. AVONEX Prescribing Information. Cambridge, MA: Biogen. 2. Biogen. Data on file. Cambridge, MA.

 

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