New devices may ease use of Copaxone and Betaseron.The FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. recently approved the Copaxone autoject and the Mixject vial vial a small bottle. adapters, to help people using Copaxone (glatiramer acetate glatiramer acetate (glahtear´a-meer as´  tāt),n a medication used to decrease or stop a relapse of multiple sclerosis. for injection) self-administer the drug. The autoject steadies the syringe and hides the needle from view. Mixject vial adapters allow for the use of the same syringe for both mixing and injecting. (Copaxone must be diluted with sterile water before using.) Teva Marion Partners, the manufacturer of Copaxone, is giving the autoject away free to people with a doctor's prescription for Copaxone. The device can also be obtained by contacting Teva's Shared Solutions at 1-800-867-2444 or online at <www.copaxone.com>. Autoject 2 for use with Betaseron The Betaseron Foundation provides Autoject 2 devices, made by Owen Mumford, free to qualifying patients for use with Betaseron (interferon beta-1b interferon beta-1b Betaferon (UK), Betaseron Pharmacologic class: Biological response modifier Therapeutic class: Antiviral, immunoregulator Pregnancy risk category C Action). This is similar to the Copaxone device. Tracy Bradey of the Betaseron Foundation said that people currently receiving Betaseron through the Foundation are automatically eligible to receive one and should contact the Foundation at 1-800-948-5777, or online at <www.betaseron.org>. Others should call MS Pathways at 1-800-788-1467 for more information.A needle-less option. Some people are exploring the needle-free Biojector 2000, made by Bioject Medical Technologies Inc. The Biojector 2000 uses a CO2 cartridge to deliver doses of medication through the skin. This product has not been FDA approved for use with any of the disease-modifying MS drugs, although Dr. Stanley van den Noort, of the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). Department of Neurology neurology (n  rŏl`əjē, ny–), study of the morphology, physiology, and pathology of the human nervous system. , said that he had "no problem" with its use with either Copaxone or Betaseron. Avonex, which is taken via the muscle, "cannot be judged," Dr. van den Noort said. The cost may not be covered by insurance, he noted. Anyone interested in the injection-easing devices currently on the market should discuss them with their physician. |
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