Priority Healthcare Corporation Announces Availability of Generic Ribavirin Hepatitis C Treatment
April 07 2004 - 8:47AM
PR Newswire (US)
Priority Healthcare Corporation Announces Availability of Generic
Ribavirin Hepatitis C Treatment LAKE MARY, Fla., April 7
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Priority Healthcare Corporation announced
that generic ribavirin, approved yesterday by the FDA for the
treatment of hepatitis C, will be available from the company's
specialty pharmacy operation today. "Ribavirin, used in combination
with interferon, is the leading treatment for hepatitis C. It is
our hope that the launch of generic ribavirin will result in
increased awareness and treatment options for the 4 million
Americans who suffer from this disease. As the market leader in
this disease area, we are very pleased that patients can obtain
ribavirin combined with our customized care services," said Kim
Rondeau, Executive Vice President, Pharmacy Sales & Marketing
for Priority Healthcare. Priority Healthcare offers a supportive
disease treatment management program for hepatitis C patients that
includes: * One-on-one nurse counseling and educational information
at the initiation of treatment * Caring Paths(TM) disease treatment
management process, specific to hepatitis * Access to pharmacists
and nurses 24 hours a day/7 days a week to answer patient questions
* Monthly check-ins with patient care coordinators who follow up
with physicians as needed * Ongoing educational disease
information, support networks, chats with disease specialists, and
research and treatment updates available as a free community
resource at Priority Healthcare's Hepatitis Neighborhood at
http://www.hepatitisneighborhood.com/ About Hepatitis C According
to the National Institutes of Health, hepatitis C virus (HCV) is
one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease in the
United States and is the leading indication for liver transplants.
Since 80% of hepatitis C patients have no signs or symptoms, it is
important to increase awareness and education of the disease.
Hepatitis C affects 4 million Americans, or 1.8% of the population,
and causes an estimated 10,000-12,000 deaths annually in the United
States. Hepatitis is transmitted by blood and blood products.
People most at risk are those who have had blood transfusions
before 1992, injection drug users, infants born to HCV-infected
mothers, healthcare workers who suffer needle sticks, and people
exposed to blood products, including patients with hemophilia,
solid-organ transplants, chronic renal failure, or cancer requiring
chemotherapy. Currently, the optimal treatment appears to be a 24-
or 48-week course of combination pegylated alpha interferon and
ribavirin. (The information on hepatitis C is from the National
Institutes of Health available online at
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/chronicchepc/index.htm)
About Ribavirin Ribavirin is an anti-viral drug known as a
nucleoside analogue. Ribavirin disrupts viral RNA and DNA
synthesis, which slows down or stops the virus from replicating.
Ribavirin is prescribed in combination with interferon for
hepatitis C. It is not effective or approved as a monotherapy
against HCV. For people who have medical conditions that would not
allow the use of ribavirin, such as heart disease and anemia,
interferon medication may be used alone (monotherapy). Patients
should talk with their physician to learn more about ribavirin and
interferon therapies. About Priority Healthcare Corporation
Priority Healthcare Corporation is a national specialty pharmacy
and distributor that provides biopharmaceuticals, complex
therapies, and related disease treatment services. Priority
Healthcare provides comprehensive programs for patients, payors,
physicians, and pharmaceutical manufacturers for a growing number
of disease states including cancer, hepatitis C, respiratory and
pulmonary conditions, infertility, rheumatoid arthritis,
hemophilia, multiple sclerosis, and macular degeneration.
Additional information regarding Priority Healthcare is available
online at http://www.priorityhealthcare.com/ Certain statements
included in this press release, which are not historical facts, are
forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are
made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements represent our expectations or beliefs and involve
certain risks and uncertainties, including those described in our
public filings with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission; also including, but not limited to, changes ininterest
rates, competitive pressures, changes in customer mix, changes in
third party reimbursement rates, financial stability of major
customers, changes in government regulations or the interpretation
of these regulations, changes in supplier relationships, growth
opportunities, cost savings, revenue enhancements, synergies and
other benefits anticipated from acquisition transactions,
difficulties relative to integrating acquired businesses, the
accounting and tax treatment of acquisitions, and asserted and
unasserted claims, which could cause actual results to differ from
those in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking
statements by their nature involve substantial risks and
uncertainties, certain of which are beyond our control, and actual
results may differ materially depending on a variety of important
factors. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date herein.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030417/PHCLOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Priority Healthcare
Corporation CONTACT: Stephen Saft, Chief Financial Officer,
+1-407-804-6700, or Media, Kirsten Ayars, Public Relations Manager,
+1-407-804-5826, both of Priority Healthcare Corporation Web site:
http://www.priorityhealthcare.com/
http://www.hepatitisneighborhood.com/
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