Bayer: Betaseron not affected by prep pads recall

WAYNE, N.J. — Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals sought to reassure healthcare professionals and their patients that a recall of alcohol prep pads distributed with its multiple sclerosis drug did not affect the drug itself.

The drug maker’s MS treatment Betaseron (interferon beta-1b) is distributed with prep pads made by Triad Group, which recently staged a recall of prep products due to potential contamination with Bacillus cereus bacteria, which would lead to life-threatening infections.

Bayer said the contamination was confined to the prep pads and that the Betaseron itself was still safe to use. The company is urging patients to use alternative prep pads not subject to the recall.