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MS Symptoms
About Rebif
Rebif Meets All 3 Important Goals of Relapsing MS Treatment
† Refers to new lesions and total lesion burden or area as defined in the AAN and MS Council guidelines
* Rebif is the only self administrated therapy proven effective in reducing MRI lesion area and activity, relapses, and slowing disability progression in relapsing MS.
The exact correlation between MRI findings and the current or future clinical status of patients, including disability progression, is unknown.
Before beginning treatment, you should discuss with your doctor the potential benefits and risks associated with Rebif. Let your doctor know if you have a history of depression, seizures, liver disease, thyroid problems, or blood cell count or bleeding problems, or if you have had previous allergic reactions to medications.
Rebif: Proven to Slow Down the Course of Relapsing MS
This was shown in the 2-year study that followed 560 people to see how they responded to Rebif 22 mcg or Rebif 44 mcg vs placebo.
Rebif 44 mcg is proven to work on the 3 important aspects of relapsing MS
- Disability
For many people with MS, the greatest fear is becoming disabled. Rebif can slow the progression of disability in relapsing MS. - Relapses
Whether mild or severe, relapses can interrupt your life, and some may lead to hospitalization. With Rebif, you may have twice as much time without a relapse versus placebo. - Brain lesions
Your MS can be active even when you're not feeling symptoms. This activity appears as "lesions" on your brain, which can be seen with MRI imaging. Rebif was shown to reduce the number of active brain lesions1 by nearly 80%, and to decrease the size of existing lesions.
Rebif Can Help You Keep Going about Your Life
People in this study taking Rebif 44 mcg had:
- Fewer relapses
- Fewer MS-related hospitalizations
- Fewer MS-related steroid treatments
Some Important Considerations
Rebif is used to decrease the frequency of relapses and delay the occurrence of some of the physical disability that is common in people with relapsing forms of MS. Rebif is not approved for the treatment of chronic progressive MS. Rebif is available in 22 mcg and 44 mcg prefilled, preassembled syringes and a titration pack by prescription only.
Rebif: An Effective Treatment with a Well Established Safety Profile
You can feel confident that the safety profile of Rebif is backed by long-term experience.
Most Common Side Effects
Common side effects with Rebif include injection-site reactions and flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, muscle aches, tiredness).
- These symptoms are usually mild to moderate and lessen over time
There are things you can do to manage them. You can get helpful tips by calling MS LifeLines® and speaking to a Nurse Support Specialist.
Other Common Side Effects
Other common side effects include depression, abdominal pain, increased liver enzymes, and blood cell count decreases. Let your doctor know if you have any of these symptoms or feel sad, tired, hot or cold, experience hives, rashes, bruising, yellowing of the skin, or a change in body weight (gain or loss). In a 2-year study that compared Rebif with placebo, only 3% of those taking Rebif 22 mcg and 5% taking Rebif 44 mcg stopped taking Rebif because of side effects. It's important you inform your health care provider of any side effects you may have. There may be things you can do to ease them.
Rebif: The Only Relapsing MS Treatment Proven to Work Better Than Another in a Class I Clinical Trial2
Rebif 44 mcg was shown to work better than Avonex 30 mcg at reducing relapses and brain lesions. Although both Rebif 44 mcg and Avonex 30 mcg are interferon-beta products, Rebif is a higher dose and is taken more frequently.
The EVIDENCE3 study was a head-to-head trial that compared Rebif with Avonex over an average of 64 weeks. 339 people were given Rebif 44 mcg 3 times a week just under the skin. 338 people were treated with Avonex 30 mcg, once a week into the muscle.
The proportion of patients relapse free at 24 weeks was 75% for Rebif vs. 63% for Avonex (p<0.001).
Rebif 44 mcg was proven to work better than Avonex 30 mcg at reducing:
- Frequency of relapses
- Brain lesion activity on MRI
The study also showed that significantly more people taking Rebif had no active brain lesions1 on MRI.
The exact correlation between MRI findings and the current or future clinical status of patients, including disability progression, is unknown.
Compared with Avonex, side effects were generally similar with Rebif. Differences included people taking Avonex had more flu-like symptoms than those taking Rebif. People taking Rebif had a greater number of injection-site reactions, elevated liver enzymes, and decreased white blood cell counts. In fact, the number of people who dropped out of the study because of side effects was 5% with Rebif and 3% with Avonex. Your health care provider can help you monitor and manage these side effects.
§ A 25-guage needle for intramuscular injection may be substituted for the 23-guage, 1 1/4" needle by the prescribing physician, if deemed appropriate. The higher gauge, the thinner the needle.
Although needles are shown to scale, they are not actual size.
Redness, pain, or swelling at injection site can occur with any injectable treatment.
1. New, enlarging, or reappearing lesions detected with PD/T2-weighted MRI.2. According to the American Academy of Neurology, data from class I studies are collected under the highest scientific standards and are thought to be the most valid.
3. EVidence of Interferon Dose-response: European North American Comparative Efficacy.
This information is intended only for residents of the United States.
Important Safety Information
Rebif is used to treat relapsing forms of MS to decrease the frequency of relapses and delay the occurrence of some of the physical disability that is common in people with MS. Rebif is not approved for treatment of chronic progressive MS. Rebif is available in 22 mcg and 44 mcg prefilled, preassembled syringes and a titration pack by prescription only.
Before beginning treatment, patients should discuss with their doctor the potential benefits and risks associated with Rebif. Let your doctor know if you have a history of depression, seizures, liver disease, thyroid problems, or blood cell count or bleeding problems, or if you have had previous allergic reactions to medications. Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Rebif and other medicines may affect each other causing serious side effects. Talk to your doctor before you take any new medicines. Rebif is not recommended for women who are or plan to become pregnant.
Potential serious side effects of Rebif include depression, liver problems, risk to pregnancy, injection-site problems, and severe allergic reactions. Allergic reactions are rare and may be associated with difficulty in breathing and loss of consciousness, which require immediate medical attention.
The most common side effects with Rebif are injection-site reactions, flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, muscle aches, tiredness), depression, abdominal pain, increased liver enzymes, and blood cell count decreases. Let your doctor know if you have any of these symptoms or feel sad, tired, hot or cold, or experience hives, rashes, bruising, yellowing of the skin, or a change in body weight (gain or loss).
Compared with Avonex in a clinical trial, side effects were generally similar despite the higher, more frequent dosing of Rebif. Differences included people taking Avonex had more flu-like symptoms than those taking Rebif. People taking Rebif had a greater number of injection-site reactions, elevated liver enzymes, and decreased white blood cell counts. Events that occurred more frequently with Rebif posttransition versus prior use of Avonex included injection-site disorders, hepatic function disorders, and white blood cell disorders.
Rebif, Rebiject II, and MS LifeLines are registered trademarks and the Rebif logo is a trademark of EMD Serono, Inc. or its affiliates.
Avonex is a registered trademark of Biogen Idec.
Betaseron is a registered trademark of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals.
Copaxone is a registered trademark of Teva Neuroscience, Inc.
Tysabri is a registered trademark of Elan Corporation, Inc.
Micro Pin is a registered trademark of B. Braun Medical Inc.
MS ActiveSource is a registered trademark of Biogen Idec.
BETAPLUS is a trademark of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
This information is not intended to replace discussions with your healthcare provider. For additional information about Rebif, please consult the Medication Guide or Prescribing Information and talk to your doctor. You can also call toll free 1-877-44-REBIF (1-877-447-3243). Rebif is available by prescription only.
MS LifeLines is an educational support service for people living with MS and their families. MS LifeLines and MS LifeLines Ambassadors are sponsored by EMD Serono, Inc. and Pfizer Inc.
MS LifeLines, Rebif and Rebiject II are registered trademarks of EMD Serono, Inc. or its affiliates.
MS in Balance is a service mark of EMD Serono, Inc. or its affiliates.
© Copyright 2009 EMD Serono, Inc. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.
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