[Natalie8]

That sneaky pharmaceutical company, Biogen!!

http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/...00854_univ.xml

http://ms.about.com/b/2009/04/05/fda...ysabri-ads.htm

[Twinkletoes]

"A Biogen spokesman couldn't immediately comment."

[Harry Z]

Originally Posted by Natalie8

That sneaky pharmaceutical company, Biogen!!

http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/...00854_univ.xml

http://ms.about.com/b/2009/04/05/fda...ysabri-ads.htm

Biogen's current Tysabri sales are but a fraction of what they originally planned and published. Their marketing department, one of the best in the business, need to prop up sales in a big way and this is but one method they are using. Not telling everything about one of their products is nothing new for Biogen...they are very good at doing that!

Harry

[komokazi]

Originally Posted by Harry Z

Biogen's current Tysabri sales are but a fraction of what they originally planned and published. Their marketing department, one of the best in the business, need to prop up sales in a big way and this is but one method they are using. Not telling everything about one of their products is nothing new for Biogen...they are very good at doing that!

Harry

Everyone's in a tizzy because there was an ad link on the internet that didn't list all the potential side effects. The ad link took a browse directly yo yhe Tysabri.com web site that highlights the PML risk loud and clear. Hardly an attempt at deception.

[lady_express_44]

Here's a copy of the warning letter:

http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/2009/Biogen%20Letter.pdf

Cherie

[lady_express_44]

What really annoys me is how quickly they seem to be able to clean unflattering news off the internet.

Cherie

[Harry Z]

Originally Posted by komokazi

Everyone's in a tizzy because there was an ad link on the internet that didn't list all the potential side effects. The ad link took a browse directly yo yhe Tysabri.com web site that highlights the PML risk loud and clear. Hardly an attempt at deception.

Guess you don't know the "real" Biogen/IDEC ! When you get a letter from the FDA like Biogen did, it certainly isn't some small "tizzy". Their marketing/sales department knew exactly what they were doing and they paid the price by having the FDA on their back now.

Harry

[komokazi]

Harry and Cherie,

14 other companies received similar letters that dealt with the Google search word issue. So its clearly an evolving issue with the FDA on how to handle internet search advertising in general. The interesting thing is that if you do a Google search for Multiple Sclerosis an almost identical ad pops up that lists MyMSTreatment.com as the website but clicking it leads to the Tysabri web site. Clearly only a slight alteration needed to be made to satisfy the FDA.

So why are we talking about this and not the efficacy data that was presented at AAN yesterday and today?

Chris

[lady_express_44]

Originally Posted by komokazi

Harry and Cherie,

So why are we talking about this and not the efficacy data that was presented at AAN yesterday and today?

Chris

I haven't even been “talking about it”; I simply posted a copy of the letter.

Are you referring to the two postings you made? To be honest . . . sometimes it's just not worth the fight, Chris.

Cherie

[Natalie8]

I should add that it's not just Biogen that has a problem with toying with the labeling of a drug or misleading advertising. I just read in the New Yorker that Cephalon, the pharmaceutical company that produces Provigil, was fined 425 million dollars in 2008 for promoting uses for Provigil and two other drugs for which they are not FDA approved. Cephalon has been working on touting Provigil as a remedy for tiredness, "decreased activity" and things like jet lag, bipolar disorder, traumatic injury etc. etc. Granted Provigil doesn't cause PML but Biogen is not in a league by itself in terms of tweaking its ads to mislead consumers all for the sake of the all mighty dollar.