Priority Healthcare Chosen By Bertek as a Specialty Distributor of Apokyn
01 June 2004 - 10:26PM
PR Newswire (US)
Priority Healthcare Chosen By Bertek as a Specialty Distributor of
Apokyn LAKE MARY, FL, June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Priority
Healthcare Corporation (NASDAQ:PHCC) has been chosen by Bertek
Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mylan Laboratories
Inc., (NYSE:MYL), to be a specialty distributor provider of
Apokyn(TM) (apomorphine hydrochloride injection). This agreement is
in addition to the previously announced preferred specialty
pharmacy relationship. 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. "We are pleased to leverage both
our specialty distribution and specialty pharmacy services to
provide customized services for Parkinson's patients and their
physicians," said Steve Cosler, President and CEO of Priority
Healthcare. "As the healthcare industry evolves, patients,
physicians, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and payors have found
numerous benefits to having a one-stop, comprehensive source for
complex and chronic disease therapies. Providing medications
through both specialty channels helps patients and physicians
manage diseases at home with added care from pharmacists and nurses
and in their doctor's office." Priority Healthcare's specialty
distribution services for Apokyn include: * Overnight delivery of
medications and supplies * Injection device distribution * Product
consultation with clinically-trained sales and customer service
associates 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 of claims. * Coordination of all
aspects of patient care with the physician's office. Priority
Healthcare has a team of clinicians available to speak directly
with Parkinson's patients and health care providers at 888-9APOKYN
(888-927- 6596). Providers may also fax enrollment forms for
patients to 888-704-3603. 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 duing "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 for nausea or irritable bowel syndrome called
5HT3 antagonists or blockers (including, for example, ondansetron,
granisetron, dolasetron, palonesetron, and alosetron). 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.
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.apokyn.com/ or by calling 1-877-7APOKYN
(1-877-727-6596). 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.apokyn.com/
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