Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) whistleblower Linda Ford told the Health Committee she continued "to be treated like a criminal", on 23 January 2013. Ms Ford won 20,000 in compensation after she took a case against the NIFRS. Three investigations were carried out into the NIFRS following whistle-blowing allegations which centred on fraud, unapproved bonuses and failings to deal with staff grievances. Ms Ford told committee members her treatment had been "appalling", and doubted whether anyone "would come forward now having seen what I have been through". She explained that she had returned to work following suspension but had not been allowed to return to her previous role, and had been told she was not allowed to speak to other members of the finance department. Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs thanked Ms Ford for her actions. "There has been a litany of bad practice that had to be exposed," he added. Replying to a question from Conall McDevitt from the SDLP, Ms Ford was also critical of the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health, to whom she had made the disclosure. Earlier in the session, the committee was briefed by members … Continue reading →

By RTT News, January 24, 2013, 07:57:00 AM EDT (RTTNews.com) - Biogen Idec Inc. ( BIIB ) on Thursday released the primary efficacy analysis and safety data from its Phase 3 pivotal clinical trial, ADVANCE. The company said results support peginterferon beta-1a as a potential treatment dosed every two weeks or every four weeks for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis or RRMS. Peginterferon beta-1a is a new molecular entity in which interferon beta-1a is pegylated to extend its half-life and prolong its exposure in the body, enabling study of a less frequent dosing schedule. The primary endpoint of ADVANCE, annualized relapse rate or ARR at one year, was met for both the two-week and four-week dose regimens. Results showed that peginterferon beta-1a also met the secondary endpoints of risk of 12-week confirmed disability progression, proportion of patients who relapsed and magnetic resonance imaging or MRI assessments for both dose regimens. The company noted that Adverse events or AEs, serious adverse events or SAEs and discontinuations due to AEs were similar across both dose groups. Overall with both dose regimens studied, the risk-benefit profile of peginterferon beta-1a appears to be favorable. The ADVANCE study included more than 1,500 patients with RRMS and was … Continue reading →

(Reuters) - Biogen Idec Inc said on Thursday that a late-stage clinical trial of an experimental multiple sclerosis treatment showed it to be safe and effective in cutting the annual rate of relapse in patients with the autoimmune disease. The injectable treatment, peginterferon beta-1a, also known as Peg-Avonex, is designed to reduce the dosing schedule typical of standard interferon drugs such as Biogen's own Avonex, as it is designed to last longer in the body. Biogen said the results "support peginterferon beta-1a as a potential treatment dosed every two weeks or every four weeks for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis." The company said fewer patients relapsed on an every two-week dosing schedule than those on an every four-week schedule in the trial. The study included more than 1,500 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Both schedules of use worked at about the same rate to reduce the progression of disability with MS, an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, the company said. Still, analysts are mainly focused on another multiple sclerosis drug in development by Biogen, BG-12, a pill that some expect could become the leading treatment for the disease. David Ferreiro, an analyst at Oppenheimer, said in a research … Continue reading →

WESTON, Mass. (AP) -- Biogen Idec said a potential multiple sclerosis treatment designed to last longer between injections fared well in late-stage research, and the drug developer plans to submit it to U.S. and European regulators for possible approval this year. The Weston, Mass., company said it tested doses of the drug, labeled peginterferon beta-1a, delivered at two-week or four-week intervals in patients with a form of multiple sclerosis that cycles between stages of relapse and remission. A total of 35.6 percent of the patients who had injections every two weeks saw a significant reduction in annual relapse rates, while 27.5 percent of patients taking the treatment every four weeks saw significant reductions. A company spokeswoman said the potential drug's effectiveness was comparable to current treatments that require patients to take daily doses or injections several times a week. More than 1,500 patients were involved in the trial. Biogen will present study data in March at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting. Shares of Biogen climbed $2.17 to $145.72 in Thursday afternoon trading while the Nasdaq exchange fell slightly. The rest is here: Biogen says MS drug reduces relapse rates in study … Continue reading →