The software is available in six additional countries
Merck Serono, the biopharmaceutical division of Merck, announced the expanded launch of its updated electronic injection device, the new RebiSmart, for the self-administration of Rebif (interferon beta-1a), the company’s disease-modifying drug used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), along with its new first-of-its-kind web-based software platform, Msdialog.
Following an initial launch in 14 countries in May, MSdialog and the new RebiSmart device are now also available to people with MS and their healthcare team in Spain, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Chile and Colombia.
People with MS can self-inject Rebif with the new RebiSmart, place the device in its transmitter and wirelessly send treatment data – injection times and doses – to the secure MSdialog server, where it is stored and available to be reviewed by people with MS and their health care providers. People with MS who use MSdialog can choose to receive email or SMS reminders to take their medication, and, along with their nurses, use MSdialog in between visits with their physician to track adherence and report health related outcomes.
MSdialog will allow people with MS to engage in the management of their disease by asking them to complete periodic health report questionnaires based on short forms of published instruments and standard scales, such as the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Inventory (MSQLI) and the Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life (MusiQoL) questionnaires.
“People with MS often cite a lack of adequate technology tools to help them effectively engage with their healthcare team in between and during consultations, and in my own practice, I’ve seen first hand the need for tools to help capture important information that could influence care decisions,” said Dr Peter Rieckmann, Head of the Neurology Department at Bamberg Academic Hospital at the University of Erlangen in Germany.
Dr Steven Hildemann, Chief Medical Officer, and Head of Global Medical Affairs and Global Drug Safety at Merck Serono said, “With the introduction of MSdialog, we are offering a unique digital technology to provide people with MS a management system that can help them create a more open dialogue with their healthcare team. Following a successful launch in May, we are thrilled to offer this new management solution in additional countries and look forward to receiving regulatory approval in more countries in the near future.”
RebiSmart was the first injection device in MS that records the date, time and dosage of each injection so that an accurate dosing history can be discussed with a patient, allowing physicians to monitor and improve patient adherence to therapy. The new RebiSmart offers updates to the original device, including a larger screen, new interactive on-screen guide and signals to help patients through the injection process, graphical display of treatment adherence and a transmitter for wireless data transfer. The new RebiSmart is used with Rebif multidose cartridges, each of which contains one week’s worth of medicine. Individually adjustable comfort settings give patients more flexibility with injection duration, speed and depth, helping minimise discomfort and pain.
The new RebiSmart and MSdialog were first available in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria, Finland, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Sweden as of May 2014, and further launches will follow in 2015.
EP News Bureau – Mumbai