Biogen Chief Plays Down Berlex Lawsuit

2 June 1996

The lawsuit which Berlex has said it will try and bring in the hope of preventing the marketing of Biogen's competitor multiple sclerosis drug Avonex (interferon beta-1a) should not interfere with the distribution of the drug, according to Biogen chief executive James Vincent. He told those listening in to a media teleconference that the Food and Drug Administration, by approving the drug (see Marketletter May 27), obviously doesn't see any merit to the case.

Biogen and its marketing partners have designed a flexible distribution system to meet the needs of MS patients, noted Kenneth Bate, Biogen's medical director. Avonex will be available through pharmacies and also by special arrangement can be shipped directly to the patient's home or doctor's office. A toll-free customer support has been set up to offer advice on reimbursement, patient support programs for those who cannot afford the drug, and assignment of benefits for patients who will be billed only for copayment (bills will go directly to insurers for the remainder). Injection training will also be offered, he said.

Biogen is selling Avonex to all wholesalers at the same price - $719 per four-week pack (containing everything needed for injection), or $9,230 on an annual basis. This is comparable to the selling price for Berlex' Betaseron (interferon beta-1b). In making the comparison, MS patients should bear in mind that they have been paying for only 10 months of Betaseron and getting a two-month supply free, added Dr Bate.

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