Tysabri and Avonex combination had no benefits

John Strahinich and Brett Arends of Boston Herald are reporting that Biogen, the maker of now recalled multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri and Avonex (which has been linked to liver damage though it has not been recalled yet), may have pushed a combination of Tysabri and Avonex even though there is no study that shows that the combination is better than Tysabri alone. (Related article: Tysabri recall)

The authors rely on an interview with neurologist Patricia Coyle of State University of New York at Stony Brook. Two other doctors - Dr. Barry Singer, an MS expert at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Dr. Ugo Goetzl, who runs the Millennium Clinic in Durham, NC, also spoke to Boston Herald and agreed with Dr. Coyle's assessment.

And it is understandable why Biogen would do it. Tysabri costs approximately $30,000 a year based on pre-recall prices and Avonex costs half of that. A combination creates 50% more revenues for the firm. It may be recalled that Biogen executives engaged in insider trading just before Tysabri was recalled. One executive, Thomas Bucknum, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, has already resigned and investigations by regulatory agencies are continuing.

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Source: BostonHerald