London - High doses of the drug, interferon beta-1a, can slow the progress of multiple sclerosis, a debilitating auto-immune disease, doctors said yesterday. The results of a study of the Rebif-brand drug made by the Swiss pharmaceutical group, Ares-Serono, showed that when it was given at doses two to four times higher than other beta interferons, it delayed disability in patients.
"The results of this study are without precedent," Dr Mark Freedman, one of the researchers, said.