WESTON, Mass. & DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) today announced a global Phase 3b study, ASCEND, that is being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of TYSABRI as a treatment for secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, approximately half of all people initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) - the most common form of multiple sclerosis (MS) - will transition to SPMS within 19 years.
