Comments on: Dying Cancer Patient Gets Tysabri After Biogen Idec’s Earlier Denial http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/10/16/dying-cancer-patient-gets-tysabri-after-biogen-idecs-earlier-denial/ Business + Technology in the Exponential Economy Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:52:13 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: mjl2112 http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/10/16/dying-cancer-patient-gets-tysabri-after-biogen-idecs-earlier-denial/comment-page-1/#comment-35611 mjl2112 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:51:44 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/?p=5632#comment-35611 It's the rich and powerful get their way. As a couple eluded to already, would the every day average person be able to get this done? No, money and powerful friends talk. I credit Biogen Idec for sticking to their decision. It may be unpopular, but you have to think of the great good of the many here. What if he dies as a direct result of a weakened immune system and then being exposed to this drug that has shown very accute side effects to folks in such a situation. Then, even the press of such, especially if Biogen had said yes, could be enough to preven those that need it from having this drug prescribed. I wish no-one to die needlessly, but should one mans life be placed so far ahead of 32,000 and growing? It’s the rich and powerful get their way. As a couple eluded to already, would the every day average person be able to get this done? No, money and powerful friends talk. I credit Biogen Idec for sticking to their decision. It may be unpopular, but you have to think of the great good of the many here. What if he dies as a direct result of a weakened immune system and then being exposed to this drug that has shown very accute side effects to folks in such a situation. Then, even the press of such, especially if Biogen had said yes, could be enough to preven those that need it from having this drug prescribed. I wish no-one to die needlessly, but should one mans life be placed so far ahead of 32,000 and growing?

]]> By: Sicko http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/10/16/dying-cancer-patient-gets-tysabri-after-biogen-idecs-earlier-denial/comment-page-1/#comment-35458 Sicko Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:50:45 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/?p=5632#comment-35458 "Liability has been a key question in this case all along. Andrew Baron, in an earlier comment on this site, said the FDA had assured Biogen that it would be protected from legal liability if it gave Frederick Baron the drug. “The FDA said that whatever happened in this particular case with my father, would not be counted against them. This is similar to a case which becomes expunged,” he wrote." vs. "The FDA has provided no such assurance to the company" Lawyers lie ... no surprise. How do I know they are lying? Their lips are moving ... “Liability has been a key question in this case all along. Andrew Baron, in an earlier comment on this site, said the FDA had assured Biogen that it would be protected from legal liability if it gave Frederick Baron the drug. “The FDA said that whatever happened in this particular case with my father, would not be counted against them. This is similar to a case which becomes expunged,” he wrote.”

vs. “The FDA has provided no such assurance to the company”

Lawyers lie … no surprise. How do I know they are lying? Their lips are moving …

]]> By: Ailing Democratic donor obtains experimental drug | OncoBlog.com http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/10/16/dying-cancer-patient-gets-tysabri-after-biogen-idecs-earlier-denial/comment-page-1/#comment-34752 Ailing Democratic donor obtains experimental drug | OncoBlog.com Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:09:27 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/?p=5632#comment-34752 [...] Dying Cancer Patient Gets Tysabri After Biogen Idec’s Earlier Denial [...] [...] Dying Cancer Patient Gets Tysabri After Biogen Idec’s Earlier Denial [...]

]]> By: Enfermera http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/10/16/dying-cancer-patient-gets-tysabri-after-biogen-idecs-earlier-denial/comment-page-1/#comment-34669 Enfermera Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:01:19 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/?p=5632#comment-34669 I'm on Tysabri for my MS. I went through a lot of red tape to obtain the drug, which Mr. Baron obviously has not. Would the average Joe with multiple myeloma get this medication? Can the average Joe get politicians and celebrities to call on his behalf? Hell no he can't! I don't have a problem with people who desperately need the medication getting it. What I have a problem with is some receiving more equal treatment than others. I’m on Tysabri for my MS. I went through a lot of red tape to obtain the drug, which Mr. Baron obviously has not. Would the average Joe with multiple myeloma get this medication? Can the average Joe get politicians and celebrities to call on his behalf? Hell no he can’t! I don’t have a problem with people who desperately need the medication getting it. What I have a problem with is some receiving more equal treatment than others.

]]> By: NyHack http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/10/16/dying-cancer-patient-gets-tysabri-after-biogen-idecs-earlier-denial/comment-page-1/#comment-32399 NyHack Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:44:22 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/?p=5632#comment-32399 Only in America is right.... what happened to the assurances from Mr Baron's lawyer friends and his son that the FDA would hold nothing against the company if something went wrong? I'm so glad that friends in right places can jeopardize the long term future of a drug that is currently helping patients who have few treatment options. This is a great day in the battle against evil pharma. I can't imagine being the family of anyone who enrolls in the randomized part of the Phase 2 trial in MM. How do you make the case that there is a chance they won't recieve the study drug? Why are they less deserving than a rich lawyer with famous friends? Only in America is right…. what happened to the assurances from Mr Baron’s lawyer friends and his son that the FDA would hold nothing against the company if something went wrong? I’m so glad that friends in right places can jeopardize the long term future of a drug that is currently helping patients who have few treatment options. This is a great day in the battle against evil pharma.

I can’t imagine being the family of anyone who enrolls in the randomized part of the Phase 2 trial in MM. How do you make the case that there is a chance they won’t recieve the study drug? Why are they less deserving than a rich lawyer with famous friends?

]]> By: Mitch http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/10/16/dying-cancer-patient-gets-tysabri-after-biogen-idecs-earlier-denial/comment-page-1/#comment-32398 Mitch Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:44:09 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/?p=5632#comment-32398 Kelly Martini's comments are sadly off the mark. The approval process for Tysabri is strongly controlled by the FDA. This drug was released under strict FDA mandated RiskMAP guidelines. There are many off label uses out there for which Tysabri could be used and if a company like Biogen Idec succumbed to every request the public would be slamming it for trying to make money on unproven usage of a drug. Mayo Clinic in general has been very conservative in its recommendations for the treatment of MS with all of the biological agents so it is odd that they are in the limelight to be pushing for an off label usage for Tysabri when they are basically very skeptical as an institution for usual and approved usage of the drug. Furthermore they keep arms length away from the pharmaceutical industry except in publicity cases like this. Kelly Martini’s comments are sadly off the mark. The approval process for Tysabri is strongly controlled by the FDA. This drug was released under strict FDA mandated RiskMAP guidelines. There are many off label uses out there for which Tysabri could be used and if a company like Biogen Idec succumbed to every request the public would be slamming it for trying to make money on unproven usage of a drug. Mayo Clinic in general has been very conservative in its recommendations for the treatment of MS with all of the biological agents so it is odd that they are in the limelight to be pushing for an off label usage for Tysabri when they are basically very skeptical as an institution for usual and approved usage of the drug. Furthermore they keep arms length away from the pharmaceutical industry except in publicity cases like this.

]]> By: Kelly Martini http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2008/10/16/dying-cancer-patient-gets-tysabri-after-biogen-idecs-earlier-denial/comment-page-1/#comment-32352 Kelly Martini Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:00:02 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/?p=5632#comment-32352 I sincerely hope Mr. Baron recovers fully and then sue the hell out of Jim Mullen who delayed the approval process that made him suffer more pain from MM. He should ask for $100,000,000,000 damage because his time, his son's time, Clinton's time, Armstrong time, Harkin's time and the FDA Chief's time ain't cheap....... Only in America! I sincerely hope Mr. Baron recovers fully and then sue the hell out of Jim Mullen who delayed the approval process that made him suffer more pain from MM. He should ask for $100,000,000,000 damage because his time, his son’s time, Clinton’s time, Armstrong time, Harkin’s time and the FDA Chief’s time ain’t cheap…….

Only in America!

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