Tysabri 'cost effective' for public use
Saturday April 28th 2007
Report may fast-track wider availability of multiple sclerosis treatment to public patients
A NEW report could fast-track the availability of Elan's multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri to all public patients.
Both Elan and its research partner Biogen Idec welcomed the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) review establishing that the medicine is a cost-effective option for treating highly-active forms of the disease in Ireland.
Tysabri is prescribed for the treatment of rapidly evolving varieties of MS that cannot be effectively treated with existing therapies.
Up until now the medicine has not been equally available to all patients because hospitals have had to fund its supply out of their budgets.
There are 7,000 MS patients in Ireland, and it is believed that 30pc of these have rapidly evolving varieties of the disease.
The study concluded that: "Reimbursement may be considered on the basis that natalizumab (Tysabri) appears cost effective from the societal perspective and that the drug could be considered a new innovative product."
According to Professor Michael Hutchinson, a neurologist at St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, Tysabri's cost-effectiveness was based on the efficacy in reducing both disease activity and disease progression, thus preventing personal and State costs that accrue as a result of loss of function in patients.
"These costs include loss of earned income, social welfare, medical expenses and physical aids such as wheelchairs.
"We were involved in the clinical trials for Tysabri, and since August 2006 have been treating MS patients here at St Vincent's with this remarkable drug.
"The medical and nursing teams and the patients are delighted with the results," he said.
Meanwhile, indications from Belgian pharmaceutical firm UCB that it could postpone the launch of its new product for Crohn's Disease could also boost Tysabri.
Elan is awaiting regulatory decisions from both European and the US for the use of the drug for Crohn's Disease. A European decision on Tysabri is expected in mid-2007, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scheduled to comment by year end.
Davy Stockbrokers said yesterday that the Crohn's indication accounts for approximately $200m of its $1.6bn forecast in 2010.
Shares in Elan finished in Dublin down just under 2pc at €10.28.
Ailish O'Hora
http://www.unison.ie/business/stories.php3?ca=80&si=1821691
Saturday April 28th 2007
Report may fast-track wider availability of multiple sclerosis treatment to public patients
A NEW report could fast-track the availability of Elan's multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri to all public patients.
Both Elan and its research partner Biogen Idec welcomed the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) review establishing that the medicine is a cost-effective option for treating highly-active forms of the disease in Ireland.
Tysabri is prescribed for the treatment of rapidly evolving varieties of MS that cannot be effectively treated with existing therapies.
Up until now the medicine has not been equally available to all patients because hospitals have had to fund its supply out of their budgets.
There are 7,000 MS patients in Ireland, and it is believed that 30pc of these have rapidly evolving varieties of the disease.
The study concluded that: "Reimbursement may be considered on the basis that natalizumab (Tysabri) appears cost effective from the societal perspective and that the drug could be considered a new innovative product."
According to Professor Michael Hutchinson, a neurologist at St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, Tysabri's cost-effectiveness was based on the efficacy in reducing both disease activity and disease progression, thus preventing personal and State costs that accrue as a result of loss of function in patients.
"These costs include loss of earned income, social welfare, medical expenses and physical aids such as wheelchairs.
"We were involved in the clinical trials for Tysabri, and since August 2006 have been treating MS patients here at St Vincent's with this remarkable drug.
"The medical and nursing teams and the patients are delighted with the results," he said.
Meanwhile, indications from Belgian pharmaceutical firm UCB that it could postpone the launch of its new product for Crohn's Disease could also boost Tysabri.
Elan is awaiting regulatory decisions from both European and the US for the use of the drug for Crohn's Disease. A European decision on Tysabri is expected in mid-2007, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scheduled to comment by year end.
Davy Stockbrokers said yesterday that the Crohn's indication accounts for approximately $200m of its $1.6bn forecast in 2010.
Shares in Elan finished in Dublin down just under 2pc at €10.28.
Ailish O'Hora
http://www.unison.ie/business/stories.php3?ca=80&si=1821691
posted by Bill at 6:19 PM
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