Find balance with BAFIERTAM
An efficacious treatment proven to reduce the risk and frequency of relapse, delay disability progression and the development of MRI lesions.2,3
A well-understood safety profile and good tolerability.1,4
BAFIERTAM benefits
Established efficacy
BAFIERTAM has been shown to reduce the number of relapses, delay disability progression, and slow the development of brain lesions.2,3
No dietary restrictions
BAFIERTAM has no alcohol restrictions and can be taken with or without food.1
Good tolerability profile
BAFIERTAM is a well-tolerated MS treatment with a well-established safety profile. The most common side effects are flushing and gastrointestinal (GI) events.1,4
Maintained lymphocyte count
When switching from dimethyl fumarate (DMF), BAFIERTAM may be the better option for maintaining a healthy lymphocyte count.5
Quick elimination in 24 hours
BAFIERTAM leaves the body quickly, with most of the medicine no longer detectable within 24 hours which may make discontinuation easier.1
Comprehensive patient support*
Eligible* patients have access to Cycle Vita™, our comprehensive patient support program.
Three fumarates, only one goes direct
BAFIERTAM belongs to the oral fumarate class of MS treatments, which are proven and effective at reducing the risk of disease progression.1,6
Within the fumarate class, Tecfidera® (dimethyl fumarate) delayed-release capsules and Vumerity® (diroximel fumarate) delayed-release capsules are prodrugs that require metabolic conversion to activate, and produce byproducts during conversion.6-9
Compared to BAFIERTAM, Tecfidera may come with more severe GI side effects,10 while Vumerity comes with lifestyle restrictions.8
The absorption of fumarates.1,7,8,11
Not just another fumarate
BAFIERTAM is the only fumarate that delivers the active ingredient monomethyl fumarate (MMF) directly into the body,1,7,8 which means BAFIERTAM has a number of benefits over other fumarates. BAFIERTAM:
- Does not generate metabolic byproducts1,7,8
- Has reduced GI side effects and better tolerability than Tecfidera7
- Does not have restrictions on food and alcohol, unlike Vumerity1,8
- Is given at a lower dose, in smaller sized capsules than Tecfidera and Vumerity7,8,12
The data
BAFIERTAM has proven efficacy against MS.2,3
BAFIERTAM has the same proven efficacy as Tecfidera, which was tested against placebo in a two-year DEFINE study and shown to reduce:
Annualized relapse rate (ARR) by
53%
Disability progression by
38%
T1 hypointense lesion development by
90%
T2 lesion development by
85%2
BAFIERTAM has no food or alcohol restrictions.1
On the other hand, for Vumerity, there is a limit of 700-calories and 30-g fat per meal, and Vumerity cannot be taken with alcohol.8 If these food and alcohol restrictions are not followed, your body may not be able to take up Vumerity effectively.6,9
Here are some examples of what the food restrictions may look like with Vumerity:
BAFIERTAM has a better GI tolerability profile.10
In a 5-week, head-to-head study comparing BAFIERTAM to Tecfidera, individuals taking BAFIERTAM had less severe and fewer GI events.10 Although the main analyses of the study did not reach statistical significance, based on the overall data, BAFIERTAM shows a trend for reduction of incidence, severity and duration of GI symptoms.10
BAFIERTAM may be the better option for maintaining absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) when switching from Tecfidera or generic DMF.5
A single-center, retrospective study conducted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center examined the effects of fumarate switching on ALC and lymphopenia in 72 patients. Patients either switched from DMF to Vumerity or to BAFIERTAM, mostly due to insurance and financial reasons.5
Results showed that patients switched to BAFIERTAM:
- Were less likely to develop lymphopenia. 0% of BAFIERTAM patients had lymphopenia post-switch, compared to 56% of patients who switched to Vumerity.5
- Had 1.8 times higher average ALC at follow-up, compared to patients who switched to Vumerity (p<0.001).5
Table 1. Lymphocyte changes and lymphopenia grade by fumarate switched to.
| Switch to Vumerity® (N = 57) | Switch to BAFIERTAM (N = 15) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline (pre-switch) | Follow up (post-switch) | Baseline (pre-switch) | Follow up (post-switch) |
|
| ALC [ Median (IQR)] | 1.4 (1.1–1.7) | 0.9 (0.6–1.3) | 1.5 (1.4–2.3) | 1.9 (1.4–2.2) |
| Any lymphopenia [n (%)] | 12 (21) | 32 (56) | 1 (7) | 0 (0) |
| Grade 1 Lymphopenia | 8 (14) | 6 (11) | 1 (7) | 0 (0) |
| Grade 2 Lymphopenia | 4 (7) | 20 (35) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Grade 3 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) | 6 (11) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Grade 4 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
IQR: interquartile range
Table 1. Lymphocyte changes and lymphopenia grade by fumarate switched to.
Switch to Vumerity(N = 57)
| Baseline (pre-switch) |
|
|---|---|
| ALC [ Median (IQR)] | 1.4 (1.1–1.7) |
| Any lymphopenia [n (%)] | 12 (21) |
| Grade 1 Lymphopenia | 8 (14) |
| Grade 2 Lymphopenia | 4 (7) |
| Grade 3 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) |
| Grade 4 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) |
| Follow up (post-switch) |
|
|---|---|
| ALC [ Median (IQR)] | 0.9 (0.6–1.3) |
| Any lymphopenia [n (%)] | 32 (56) |
| Grade 1 Lymphopenia | 6 (11) |
| Grade 2 Lymphopenia | 20 (35) |
| Grade 3 Lymphopenia | 6 (11) |
| Grade 4 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) |
Switch to BAFIERTAM(N = 15)
| Baseline (pre-switch) |
|
|---|---|
| ALC [ Median (IQR)] | 1.5 (1.4–2.3) |
| Any lymphopenia [n (%)] | 1 (7) |
| Grade 1 Lymphopenia | 1 (7) |
| Grade 2 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) |
| Grade 3 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) |
| Grade 4 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) |
| Follow up (post-switch) |
|
|---|---|
| ALC [ Median (IQR)] | 1.9 (1.4–2.2) |
| Any lymphopenia [n (%)] | 0 (0) |
| Grade 1 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) |
| Grade 2 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) |
| Grade 3 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) |
| Grade 4 Lymphopenia | 0 (0) |
IQR: interquartile range
1. BAFIERTAM. Prescribing Information. Banner Life Sciences LLC.
2. Gold R, Kappos L, Arnold DL, et al. (2012). Placebo-controlled phase 3 study of oral BG-12 for relapsing multiple sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 367(12):1098-1107. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1114287.3.
3. Lategan, T. W., Wang, L., Sprague, T. N., & Rousseau, F. S. (2021). Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability of Monomethyl Fumarate Following a Single Oral Dose of Bafiertam™ (Monomethyl Fumarate) or Tecfidera® (Dimethyl Fumarate). CNS drugs, 35(5), 567–574. doi:10.1007/s40263-021-00799-9.
4. Dighriri IM, Aldalbahi AA, Albeladi F, et al. (2023). An Overview of the History, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacological Interventions of Multiple Sclerosis. Cureus, 15(1):e33242. doi:10.7759/cureus.33242.
5. Banks, A., et al. 2026. Retrospective review of lymphocyte changes when switching between fumarates in patients with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord., 107, 106968. doi:10.1016/j.msard.2026.106968.
6. CDER US FDA. (2018). Clinical pharmacology and biopharmaceutics review(s). Application Number 211855Orig1s000. Rev_211855(2)_package_Redacted.pdf. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2019/211855Orig1s000ClinPharmR.pdf. [Accessed: November 26 2025].
7. TECFIDERA. Prescribing Information. Biogen Inc.
8. VUMERITY. Prescribing Information. Biogen Inc.
9. Rousseau, F. S., Wang, L., Sprague, T. N., Lategan, T. W., & Berkovich, R. R. (2023). Comparative pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of monomethyl fumarate following a single oral dose of Bafiertam® (monomethyl fumarate) versus Vumerity® (diroximel fumarate). Mult Scler Relat Disord. 70:104500. doi:10.1016/j.msard.2023.104500.
10. Wynn, D., et al. 2020. Monomethyl fumarate has better gastrointestinal tolerability profile compared with dimethyl fumarate. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 45:102335. doi:10.1016/j.msard.2020.102335.
11. Palte MJ, Wehr A, Tawa M, et al. (2019). Improving the gastrointestinal tolerability of fumaric acid esters: early findings on gastrointestinal events with diroximel fumarate in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis from the phase 3, open-label EVOLVE-MS-1 study. Adv Ther, 36(11):3154-3165.
12. Drugs.com. (2025). 95 Pill – white capsule/oblong, 13mm. Available at: https://www.drugs.com/imprints/95-30363.html#:~:text=95%20Pill%20%2D%20white%20capsule%2Foblong%2C%2013mm&text=Pill%20with%20imprint%2095%20is,identified%20as%20Bafiertam%2095%20mg. [Accessed: November 26 2025].
13. CalorieKing. 2019. Food Nutrition Facts and Free Calorie Counter | CalorieKing. [online] Calorieking.com. Available at: https://www.calorieking.com/us/en/. [Accessed: October 10 2025].
14. Subway. 2024. Subway Order. [online] Subway.com. Available at: https://www.subway.com/en-us/-/media/northamerica/usa/nutrition/nutritiondocuments/us_nutrition_1. [Accessed: October 10 2025].
*Some areas of support may not be accessible to all patients. Eligibility criteria may apply to ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state requirements, and benefits may be limited to commercially insured patients only. For more detailed information about eligibility, terms and conditions, please contact the Cycle Vita team at 888-360-8482.
Tecfidera® and Vumerity® are registered trademarks of Biogen Inc.