Avonex

产品概览

About Avonex

Avonex is a medication used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS).

What it is used for

Avonex is used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS).

How it is used

Avonex can only be obtained with a prescription and treatment should be started by a doctor who has experience in the management of MS. Avonex is available as a solution for injection in a pre-filled syringe or pre-filled pen. Each syringe and pen contains 30 micrograms of interferon beta-1a. In adults (aged 18 years or over), the recommended dose of Avonex is 30 micrograms, given by injection into a muscle once a week. To help patients adjust to treatment, the doctor may recommend that patients start with a lower dose once a week before increasing to the full dose. This can only be done with the pre-filled syringe, when it is fitted with a special device that attaches onto the syringe and only allows the lower dose of Avonex to be injected. The site of injection should be changed each week. Patients can inject Avonex themselves once they have been trained. A painkiller that prevents fever can be given before each injection and for 24 hours after injection to reduce the flu-like symptoms that may occur during the first few months of treatment. Avonex treatment should be stopped in patients who develop progressive (worsening) MS.

How it works

The active substance in Avonex is the protein interferon beta-1a, one of a group of interferons that can be naturally produced by the body to help it fight against viruses and other attacks. In MS, the immune system (the body’s natural defences) malfunctions and attacks parts of the central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve [nerve that sends signals from the eye to the brain]), causing inflammation that damages the nerves and the insulation around them. The exact way that Avonex works in MS is not yet known but the active substance, interferon beta-1a, seems to calm down the immune system, and prevents relapses of MS.

Active substance: interferon beta-1a

Source: EMA EPAR