Since the approval of the first disease-modifying drug in 1993, the delivery method of the injectable medications for MS has improved with the development of pre-filled syringes and auto-injection devices.  Initially medications required mixing before they were ready to be injected.  Avonex, Betaseron, and Extavia are available in powered form requiring reconstitution.

The pre-filled syringe was designed to eliminate the need for mixing medication and for easy of use.  Avonex, Copaxone, and Rebif are available in pre-filled syringes.  To assist patients who may have difficulty reaching certain areas of the body for injection, or who have limited dexterity, or who may have a needle-phobia, auto-injection devices are available for use with syringes.  Manufacturers of Betaseron, Copaxone, and Rebif provide auto-injection devices for use with their medication which are designed to be reused and loaded with new syringes for each injection.

A new trend in self-injection technique and methodology is the single-use (disposable), pre-filled autoinjector or pen which comes preassembled, loaded with medication, and ready to use.  The Avonex® Pen™ was approved in February 2012 and just last week the FDA approved the Rebif® Rebidose® pen.  With both the Avonex and Rebif pens, the needle remains covered both before and after injection.  The Avonex® Pen™ is the first intramuscular (IM) autoinjector device approved for MS which incorporates a smaller needle and helps to reduce anxiety about self-injections.

A representative for EMD Serono shared with me that the Rebidose® pen was tested for ease of use, functional reliability, and patient satisfaction and acceptability during a 12-week, multicenter, open-label study in patients who had already been using full-dose Rebif (44 mcg) prior to the start of the trial.  Results of the user trial “showed that the majority of patients found the device easy to use.”  The Rebidose® pen was launched in Europe in 2010 and will be available in the US in early 2013.  In the US, Rebif Rebidose® will be available in a monthly pack in two different doses, 22 mcg and 44 mcg, and in a titration pack.

Question: Do you have experience using auto-injection devices with your MS disease-modifying medication?  If so, what is your experience?  Would the availability of a single-use, pre-filled, hidden-needle, auto-injection device influence your ability to remain adherent to your disease-modifying drug of choice?

For More Information:

Biogen Idec Press Release, February 28, 2012: FDA APPROVES AVONEX® PEN™ AND DOSE TITRATION REGIMEN: Dosing Enhancements May Improve Treatment Experience for Patients Receiving AVONEX® (interferon beta-1a) for Multiple Sclerosis. Accessed at http://www.biogenidec.com/press_release_details.aspx?ID=5981&ReqId=1666473

Merck Serono Press Release, January 3, 2013: Merck Serono Announces FDA Approval of Rebif® Rebidose® (interferon beta-1a). Accessed at http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/merck-serono-announces-fda-approval-of-rebif-rebidose-interferon-beta-1a-185540042.html