The patent play: Biogen gets a PhIII boost for its bit-better take on the blockbuster MS franchise drug Tecfidera

Biogen $BIIB got some modestly upbeat news from the R&D group today on a successor drug to Tecfidera, their big multiple sclerosis franchise therapy.

With the help of their collaborator Alkermes $ALKS, which specializes in me-better drugs (with mixed results), the partners posted a fresh set of Phase III data showing that their drug Vumerity — diroximel fumarate — came in with a markedly improved tolerability profile compared with their franchise drug.