Sales by this therapeutic area were almost exclusively attributable to Rebif® (interferon beta-1a). This product is the leading treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) outside the United States in terms of sales. Generating sales of € 1,331 million, or 9.3% more than in 2007, Rebif® was once again the top-selling product of the Merck Serono division. Adjusted for currency effects, sales growth amounted to 13%, mainly due to the weak U.S. dollar. We achieved around one-half of Rebif® sales in Europe. The new formulation, which offers improved injection tolerability, has meanwhile been introduced in all countries of the European Union. In 2008, the new formulation of Rebif® was approved in many countries around the world, including Australia, Argentina, Brazil and South Korea. Discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concerning approval are ongoing. Within the EU, the key markets of Italy and Spain showed exceptionally strong growth. More than one-third of sales were generated in North America, where sales increased by 10% to € 530 million over the previous year. In Latin America, sales remained at the previous year’s level overall. However, in Brazil, a young market with considerable potential, we recorded strong double-digit growth. The highest growth rate (+20%) was achieved in Asia, Africa, Australasia, our smallest region.
An established core therapy for multiple sclerosis
In 2008, we marked the tenth anniversary of Rebif®. Owing to its proven efficacy and favorable risk-benefit profile, Rebif® has become a core therapy for MS. It is now available in more than 80 countries. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, up to 2.5 million people suffer from MS worldwide. The safety profile of Rebif® is supported by a robust, ongoing clinical development and treatment experience estimated at more than 600,000 patient-years to date.