Biogen Inc. said late Monday that it filed with the FDA for approvalof its recombinant beta interferon product for the treatment ofmultiple sclerosis.

The Cambridge, Mass., company filed for approval of the product,Avonex, earlier this month in Europe. It is Biogen's first product thatit intends to market itself. (For details of the submissions and trialdata, see BioWorld Today, May 5 and 16, 1995, p. 1.)

Jim Vincent, Biogen's chairman and CEO, said, "This is the first timeBiogen has filed in the U.S. for regulatory approval of a proprietaryBiogen drug. It is an important milestone for our company and acritical step toward bringing Avonex to market. Based on our studyresults to date, and our interaction with the medical communities inthe United States and Europe, we are very encouraged about thepotential for Avonex to become an important therapy for people withmultiple sclerosis." _ Jim Shrine

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