Priority Healthcare is a Preferred Specialty Pharmacy Provider Of Apokyntm, a New Therapy for Patients With Parkinson's Disease
April 26 2004 - 7:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Priority Healthcare is a Preferred Specialty Pharmacy Provider Of
Apokyntm, a New Therapy for Patients With Parkinson's Disease LAKE
MARY, Fla., April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Priority Healthcare
Corporation has signed an agreement with Bertek Pharmaceuticals, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Mylan Laboratories Inc., , to be a
preferred specialty pharmacy provider of Apokyn(TM) (apomorphine
hydrochloride injection). Apokyn, approved April 20, 2004 by the
FDA, is the first and only therapy in the United States indicated
as an acute intermittent treatment of hypomobility, or "off"
episodes, in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Apokyn
will be available for patient use in July. "As both a chronic and
progressive disease, Parkinson's disease has a profound affect on
the lives of sufferers. Priority Healthcare is pleased to provide
specialty pharmacy services for Apokyn," said Steve Cosler,
President and CEO of Priority Healthcare. "We are happy to
establish a relationship with Bertek with this new therapy and
pleased to strengthen our continuing relationship with Mylan
Laboratories. Neurology has always been an important area for
Priority Healthcare and this therapy expands our relationship with
neurologists and movement disorder specialists." "We are very
excited to bring Apokyn to market, and look forward to providing
this product to the Parkinson's community. Our relationship with
Priority Healthcare, one of three specialty pharmacy providers we
have contracted with, ensures both patients and physicians will
have their Apokyn prescription needs fulfilled by a highly
respected patient focused organization," stated James Mauzey,
President of Bertek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Priority Healthcare's
specialty pharmacy services for Apokyn will include: * Caring
Paths(TM) disease treatment management process, specific to
Parkinson's disease. * Expert treatment preparation by clinical
pharmacists. * Express shipping direct to homes, physician offices,
or other convenient locations. * Detailed personal instruction and
educational materials for self-administration. * Access to
pharmacists and nurses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a
year. * Insurance counseling and assistance through reimbursement
specialists who oversee the submission and approval process. *
Coordination of all aspects of patient care with the physician's
office. About Parkinson's disease Afflicting the central nervous
system, Parkinson's disease is characterized by resting tremors,
stiffness in limbs, slowness of movement, and postural instability.
Parkinson's is estimated to affect 1-1.5 million Americans, with
incidence increasing with age. As the disease progresses, patients
become less responsive to their medications, such as levodopa, and
may develop motor fluctuations referred to as "off" episodes. "Off"
episodes are debilitating periods of partial loss of movement or
total immobility experienced by patients with advanced Parkinson's
disease. These episodes are characterized by stiffness of the
limbs, slowness, immobility and, in most cases, tremor. Because
patients with Parkinson's disease lose motor control during "off"
episodes, walking, eating, bathing, and even speaking may be more
impaired during an "off" episode. About Apokyn Apokyn does not
prevent off episodes and does not replace other Parkinson's disease
medications, but rather it is used as an acute (rescue) therapy to
effectively treat an off episode when it occurs. Apokyn is given by
injection under the skin. Apokyn should not be used by patients who
are being treated with certain drugs to treat nausea and vomiting
or irritable bowel syndrome. These medications (including, for
example, ondansetron, granisetron, dolasetron, palonesetron, and
alosetron) called 5HT3 antagonists or blockers. In addition, Apokyn
should not be used by patients who have an allergic reaction to the
drug or its ingredients (notably sodium metabisulfite). Apokyn
should be injected under the skin only, and not into a vein.
Because Apokyn can cause severe nausea and vomiting, it is taken
with an oral medicine that helps to prevent these effects. Apokyn
may lower blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension), cause fainting,
and increase the risk of falling. At recommended doses minimal
increases in QTC were observed. Caution should be used when
prescribing apomorphine with drugs that prolong the QT/QTC
interval. Some patients treated with Apokyn may get sleepy during
the day or fall asleep without warning while doing everyday
activities. The most common side effects of Apokyn are yawning,
dyskinesias, nausea and/or vomiting, sleepiness, dizziness, runny
nose, hallucinations, fluid retention, chest pain, increased
sweating, flushing, and an unusually pale complexion. Additional
information on Apokyn is available from Bertek Pharmaceuticals at:
http://www.bertek.com/ About Priority Healthcare Corporation
Priority Healthcare Corporation is a national specialty pharmacy
and distributor that provides biopharmaceuticals, complex
therapies, and related disease treatment programs and 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, Parkinson's, and age-related
macular degeneration. Additional information regarding Priority
Healthcare is available 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 in interest 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/PHCLOGODATASOURCE:
Priority Healthcare Corporation CONTACT: Financial: 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.bertek.com/
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