Bayer launches iPhone app for Betaseron patients

SAN ANTONIO German drug maker Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals has created an iPhone application that it called the first developed for patients using a specific multiple sclerosis medication, Bayer said Thursday.

MyBETAapp includes tools for patients using Betaseron (interferon beta-1b) and is part of the company’s Betaplus patient support program. The application includes injection reminders, injection site rotation assistance and injection history, as well as access to the Betaplus Web site at Betaseron.com, which includes education tools, peer support and other features. Patients enrolled in the program also can call specially trained Beta Nurses directly.

“For many years, the assistance provided to Betaseron patients through Betaplus, including personalized nursing care, has been instrumental in helping patients stay committed to their treatment,” Betaplus and Beta Nurse program director Sally Jewell stated. “This newest addition allows patients to carry that support with them in their iPhone [or] iPod Touch wherever they go, whether that’s at home, at work or on vacation.”