AVONEX (Recombinant Human Interferon-1a)-0.5ml

AVONEX® (interferon beta-1a) an immunomodulator, it is a group of glycoproteins produced naturally by the body to fight viral infections and other foreign matter including tumours. Avonex modulates the immune system by interacting with proteins that are involved in the body’s immune responses, such as interleukins and growth factor.

Interferon beta-1a is used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic and disabling disease that affects the central nervous system by destroying the protective covering (myelin) surrounding nerve fibres. This medication is also used to delay the onset of MS in people who have experienced a single flare-up of symptoms and have changes that suggest MS in their magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Interferon beta-1a will not cure MS but may decrease the number of flare-ups of the disease, slow the progression of disability, and decrease the number and volume of active brain lesions (damaged areas of the brain) seen in the MRI scans.

This medication can also be used to treat people with another type of MS known as secondary progressive MS (SPMS) who are still having relapses. For people with SPMS, the medication can decrease the frequency of relapses and reduce brain lesions seen on MRI scans.