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Elan at SG Cowen Annual Healthcare Conference

March 16, 2005

MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION SECTION

We will get started here. This next session is Elan and I am pretty sure you all know what they are up to. But joining us today, and we were happy his, is CEO Kelly Martin and Head of R&D Lars Ekman, and the way this is going to work is Kelly is going to spend probably about half the session ...

I was trying to organize some of my "miscellaneous" information and came across a November 04 BBC article:Antipsychotics treat brain virus, in this case, PML. I think the information is relevant for people who participated in the Tysabri+Avonex trial who may feel they are still at risk for PML. The article says in part:

This is now perhaps not important, but my one Tysabri infusion was finally paid by the insurance company (Blue Cross). The infusion center billed $2319.51 for the whole thing (2259.61 + 3.30 + 6.60 + 50.00) and the insurance company paid $2317.81 (2259.61 + 3.00 + 5.20 + 50.00). Met my yearly out-of-pocket max with just one dose.

Well, we all knew this was coming. The class action lawsuits. And so far these are only pertaining to securities on behalf of investors. What the SEC will do is anybody's guess right now, not to mention what Biogen may be facing from negligence, wrongful death and/or personal injury lawsuits. Just fighting these alone will cost Biogen millions, I'm sure.

This first one was interesting to me, of course, because this one includes the "allegations" ...

The following info about the two PML cases associated with T was recently posted in BrainTalk:


Case 1- The person who died had 37 doses of tysabri along with avonex. The last dose was on jan 15, 2005. On Dec. 4 she experienced right-sided weakness and aphasis, which was initially considered an MS relapse. She had two courses of steroids...one on Dec. 4 and one on Jan 5. Symptoms worsened...hospitalized 12 feb....was non-responsive.....etc..etc..etc..subject died 24th ...

....and speaking of press articles, (weren't we somewhere? :wink: :D ), here is the one that the Bloomberg News did, after speaking with some of us. I believe, though, that they are continuing to follow this story as it all unfolds, and I'm pretty certain we haven't seen nor heard that last from them. (All in all, in ...

The real Elan tragedy

'My first reaction was panic,' said MS sufferer Wendy Sargent, who was participating in a Tysabri trial. The drug's withdrawal has raised question marks over the future of both the company and those who need it


John Mulligan

6 March, 2005, The Sunday Tribune


TYSABRI changed Wendy Sargent's life.

Before the 30-year-old Toronto native was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in October 2001, she was missing weeks from work, feeling run ...

I've been reading some other message boards, and there is much discussion regarding all of the other medications that Tysabri clinical trial patients were taking along with Tysabri.

I have ONE question. Why in the world would you run a clinical trial on a medication that you aren't even sure how it works, how well it works, etc. by itself ALONE, and allow so many other drugs to be taken along with it? Especially with ...

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Irish Sunday Post / Lars interview

Tysabri: The inside story

06 March 2005

On February 17, Elan and its partner, Biogen, announced promising results from a two-year trial on their multiple sclerosis (MS) drug, Tysabri.

Within days, they learned of a fatality and a second case of viral symptoms from patients using a combination of Tysabri and Biogen's Avonex drug.

Lars Ekman, head of research and development of Elan, talks about the countdown to ...

Just thought that this was something interesting to ponder. Co-administration of Avonex reduces Tysabri clearance by approximately 1/3rd. As you can see from the FDA label, Biogen/Elan did not think this would be a problem, but they did consider it... So not only may Avonex's immunomodulation combined with Tysabri's be too much, but Avonex's effect on Tysabri ALONE may boost T's immunosuppressive capabilities.

In other words, it's not just A+T we're looking at here, but ...