It was approved in the European Union in 1998, and in the US in 2002; it has since been approved in more than 90 countries worldwide including Canada and Australia. EMD Serono has had sole rights to Rebif in the US since January 2016. Rebif is administered via subcutaneous injection. Cinnovex
Cinnovex is the brand name of recombinant Interferon beta-1a, which is manufactured as biosimilar/biogeneric in Iran. It is produced in a lyophilized form and sold with distilled water for injection. Cinnovex was developed at the Fraunhofer Society in collaboration with CinnaGen, and is the first therapeutic protein from a Fraunhofer laboratory to be approved as biogeneric / biosimilar medicine. There are several clinical studies to prove the similarity of CinnoVex and Avonex. A more water-soluble variant is currently being investigated by the Vakzine Projekt Management (VPM) GmbH in Braunschweig, Germany. Plegridy
Plegridy is a brand name of a pegylated form of Interferon beta-1a. Plegridys advantage is it only needs injecting once every two weeks. Betaferon (interferon beta-1b)
Closely related to interferon beta-1a is interferon beta-1b, which is also indicated for MS, but is formulated with a different dose and administered with a different frequency. Each drug has a different safety/efficacy profile. Interferon beta-1b is marketed only by Bayer in the US as Betaseron, and outside the US as Betaferon. Economics
In the United States, as of 2015, the cost is between US$1,284 and US$1,386 per 30 mcg vial.
Hallermann–Streiff syndrome is a congenital disorder that affects growth, cranial development, hair-growth, and dental development. There are fewer than 200 people with the syndrome worldwide. One notable organization that is supporting people with Hallermann–Streiff syndrome is the Germany-based "Schattenkinder e.V". Presentation
Patients with this syndrome are shorter than the average person and may not develop hair in many places, including in the facial, leg and pubic areas. Patients also have eye problems including reduced eye size, bilateral cataracts and glaucoma. The syndrome can be associated with sleep apnea. The physical characteristics of the syndrome can result in difficult intubation by medical professionals. Intelligence is usually normal. Cause
The genetic cause of Hallermann–Streiff syndrome has not been conclusively determined. It is most likely due to a de novo mutation, and it may be associated with the GJA1 gene. Diagnosis
Diagnosis is based on the physical characteristics and symptoms. There is no established clinical genetic testing for Hallermann–Streiff syndrome, however some laboratories offer research genetic testing for the condition. Treatment
There is no cure for Hallermann–Streiff syndrome. Treatments center around the particular symptoms in each individual. Early measures are based around ensuring proper breathing and intake of nutrients and may include a tracheostomy. Early surgery for cataracts may be recommended, however some studies have suggested that spontaneous resolution of cataracts occurs in up to 50% of untreated patients.