Biogen Idec and Elan do not expect to issue a decision on the fate of their jointly-marketed multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Tysabri until the second half of 2005, a spokesman for the companies told MM&M.
“We are in the midst of an ongoing process to weigh the risk/benefit ratio of Tysabri. We don’t expect that to be complete until the second half of the year,” said Jose Juves, a Biogen Idec spokesman. “We will have to wait, at least until then, to form a basis for any decision.”
Late last month, both companies announced the discovery of a third case of the rare brain disease, multifocal leukoencephalopathy (ML), in a patient taking Tysabri in a clinical trial. Tysabri was voluntarily withdrawn from the market in February after the companies learned of the ML related deaths of two other patients in clinical trials who took Tysabri in combination with an older Biogen Idec MS drug, Avonex.
Tysabri decision will wait until second half of 2005
Biogen Idec and Elan do not expect to issue a decision on the fate of their jointly-marketed multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Tysabri until the second half of 2005, a spokesman for the companies told MM&M.
