Bayer AG - Stockholders' Newsletter First Quarter 2007 - New study data on treatment of multiple sclerosis with Betaferon®/Betaseron®

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New study data on treatment of multiple sclerosis with Betaferon®/Betaseron®

In patients with multiple sclerosis, the myelin coatings around the nerve cells are destroyed.

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In patients with multiple sclerosis, the myelin coatings around the nerve cells are destroyed.

Berlin. According to new data recently announced by Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany*, immediate initiation of Betaferon®/Betaseron® (interferon beta-1b) treatment in patients with a first event suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS) can significantly reduce the risk of permanent neurological impairment as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) by 40 percent over three years compared to delayed treatment. These findings from the BENEFIT (BEtaferon in Newly Emerging multiple sclerosis For Initial Treatment) studies were presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

Some patients have already developed significant neurological damage when they first present with signs of MS, which can lead to accumulated disability later in life. The BENEFIT results clearly show that immediate treatment with Betaferon®/Betaseron® initiated after the first clinical event can significantly reduce that damage, which could translate into a greater delay in the time it takes for patients to suffer from the debilitating consequences of MS. This is a truly novel finding that has not yet been demonstrated for any other immunomodulatory ms treatment, and underscores the urgent need to treat patients early rather than waiting for further signs of MS to develop. Physicians and patients should consider these unprecedented findings when making treatment decisions.

The names "Bayer Schering Pharma" or "Schering" as used in this publication always refer to Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Berlin, Germany, or its predecessor, Schering AG, Berlin, Germany, respectively.