Monday, November 02, 2009

Biogen Idec - Sacrificing Integrity for Profits?



On its recent earnings call, Biogen-Idec (BIIB-$42.59) management brushed aside alleged safety advantage [PML-related] to “drug holidays” for long-term Tysabri users. Specifically, when asked to comment on the proportion of patients in Biogen’s database where providers implemented drug holidays, senior researcher Al Sandrock tersely replied: “From the data we have — we are seeing very, very isolated cases of that.”

About 13,400 patients receiving monthly infusions (or approximately 29 percent of all patients taking the drug) have been on Tysabri therapy for more than two years — paying, on average, $28,500 per year for 13 infusions. It’s easy to do the math, subtract number of infusions and units sold decline.

Could physician and patient distrust lead to Tysabri (once again) losing market share to Teva Pharmaceutical’s (non-interferon) immunomodulator Copaxone?

Read More at BNET PHARMA ….

Editor David J Phillips does not hold a financial interest in any stocks mentioned in this article. The 10Q Detective has a Full Disclosure Policy.

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