Dembot - Latest Comments in Tysabri Obtained

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Rick owings — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:16:50 -0000

Your family knows people in the know. Sound like death panels and OBAMA CARE. Your family is among the politically connected elite. Welcome to the third world and medical care for the best and brightest.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Rickowings — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:09:00 -0000

Tysabri is a MS drug. You are a slime. I am sure one of the best and brightest.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Elli — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:43:37 -0000

What is Tysabri, and when (at what stage?) would this be used?

Re: Tysabri Obtained

andrewbaron — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:40:32 -0000

Rolled, over the last several years, my father donated around $1,000,000 to Mayo to conduct the research which led to this discovery of Tysabri.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

andrewbaron — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:17:42 -0000

Thank you again to all. My dad lived the best life anyone could ever hope for.

One day soon, I will post an update on the details of how we obtained Tysabri in hopes that others might benefit. I personally think the drug may turn out to be everything we expected but may have come too late. Anyone who is concerned that this special use of Tysabri granted to my Dad was unfair or effected others negatively should know that over the last several years, my father donated at least $1,000,000 to Mayo to conduct research on MM which led to this discovery of Tysabri as a possible cure for his disease (the main reason why I personally think James C. Mullen and Naomi Aoki are COMPLETELY evil, to put it nicely).

From Lance Armstrong:
http://livestrongblog.org/2...

From the Dallas Morning News:
http://dembot.com/post/5724...

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Tony — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:59:15 -0000

Andrew, our hearts go out to you and your family you have our deepest condolences.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Kyen — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:19:26 -0000

Deepest sympathies to you and your family, Andrew. You did all you could for your father, I'm sure he was quite proud.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

James Mc Gowan — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:10:20 -0000

I wish the best for your father's recovery, Andrew. In the event that Fred Baron is able to extend his living days with the benefit of Tysabri, a drug that has excellent results for MS patients as well, but is unfairly maligned by competitors, would it be reasonable to expect that you and your father would use your resources to fight for use of Tysabri for multiple myeloma patients that are appropriate candidates for this therapy?

It would be a good turn for your father to use his clout to better the survival and quality of life opportunities for patients who desperately need Tysabri, but are challenged due to unreasonable restrictions on it's use. You were able to convince the FDA to allow your Dad to get Tysbari, the Mayo Clinic also found cause to fight for this compassionate use, why not fight for others to get the same treatment, if they are found to be at death's door for a lack of therapies that could extend their remaining days.

I realize your father made a successful career in litigation representing people afflicted with diseases secondary to exposure to various toxic substances, but he also has great knowledge and experience and contacts, no doubt, in litigation matters with pharmaceuticals. It would see that those who supported your Dad's effort for access to Tysabri would surely come to the aid of others so afflicted with multiple myeloma, and hasten their access to this potential life extending medication.

After all, what do they have left? Not much more that your Dad did just a few short days ago.

Regards,

James Mc Gowan

Re: Tysabri Obtained

nerdseeksblonde — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:28:09 -0000

Please see my comments here,

http://blogs.wsj.com/health...

"Justice" has nothing to do with safety or efficacy and in any case probably doesn't include the people most afraid of innovation being the first to benefit from it due to political influence. How exactly are you going to fine a "druge justice czar" who can make better decisions? If anything, we need to remove restrictions and delegate as much decisions making as possible to the people most concerned, usually doctors and patients, by using the govt to insure that quality, accurate information is available long before people are confronted with situations similar to yours.

Everytime a legal person doesn't get his way, he starts calling innovators greedy or some other term. Is this a joke? You can't possibly be serious.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Suzann Lowe-Richard — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:29:13 -0000

Hi Andrew... It's been almost 2 weeks since your dad received Tysabri. I was just wondering if there was an update on his condition... Is it helping?! (Very hopeful) We are keeping Fred in our prayers.
Suzann Richard and Sam Richard

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Kyen — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:12:46 -0000

Very sorry for your loss. What was the reasoning given for his being turned down?

Re: Tysabri Obtained

RandB — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:47:22 -0000

My dad died from multiple myeloma in March 03. He had been rejected from a clinical trial just before he died. Best of luck to yours!

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Laura — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:40:23 -0000

I am so happy that you were able to obtain this drug for your father. I hope that it works for him. As a multiple myeloma patient, I am always glad to see new drugs being tested. My prayers are with you and your family.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Joe — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:49:10 -0000

Andrew, many MM patients would love to be kept updated on Fred's improvement. I certainly hope that Tysabri will enable life back into Fred and many patients with MM. I know that it is early, but with good vibrations and thoughts of love for all, and we continue to see positive outcome, could you give back to humanity, and fight for the media and public awareness of this success. Many drug makers would love to keep the chemo-regime in power so that they can maintain their profit margins at the cost of innocent lives. One of the reasons Biogen said no was that Jim Mullen wanted to ensure their primary drug Avonex sales would not be impacted by this off label use for Tysabri. This is an atrocity in itself, it places the value of money above human life which is manifested today in spades within our society. Your father fought for many injustices in the world. Please follow your father's footsteps...Namaste!

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Tony — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:31:13 -0000

It is great news that your father has obtained Tysabri and we hope it turns out to be the miracle cure for MM for everyone’s sake.

We wish your father a speedy and full recovery and that he is back on the golf course before you know it.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Casey McKinnon — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:03:20 -0000

As soon as I heard that you were trying to get the drug from Biogen, I told Rudy. Rudy's father used to work there, so Rudy then passed the message onto his father. I don't know if it helped at all, but just want you to know we care. I hope your father is in full remission. <3 Casey

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Chris — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:10:08 -0000

Andrew Baron,

I am very pleased that you were able to obtain the drug and I'm sorry that you had to do so in such a stressful situation. But your response greatly upsets me. I plead with you to respect the incredibly difficult decision that Biogen Idec had made. Mr. Mullen is weighting a lot of factors, a good number of them independent of money and you should acknowledge the existence of those factors. It is very important that you take advantage of the large media attention and your influence to change this restrictive system in place and not create a witchhunt out it.

As a scientist myself, I am skeptical about the scientific basis of the Mayo Clinic and concerned about the lack of Phase I data but I wish your father the best since cancer is disease that haunts us all. The best happy ending for everyone is if this drug truly is a miracle. I pray for you and your family.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Marcus — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:18:28 -0000

Sorry - President Obama is about to win and the Democrats can determine whether it is legal or not. Biogen just took a huge legal risk trying to kill a major Democrat and lost. The FDA is only liable if it choose to be, sovereign immunity and all.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

confused — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:06:56 -0000

I've read on pharmalot:

"The FDA has provided no such assurance to the company. Our policy is to consider all available information when evaluating the safety and effectiveness of drugs. We recognize and appreciate that expanded access programs involve less-controlled use of experimental treatments than the well-controlled environment of a clinical trial, and thus we would consider information that might be obtained in this instance within that context.”

contrast this with your claim:

". In other words, considering the life and death circumstances, if the drug did not work or if it caused an adverse reaction, the FDA would be willing to exclude this data from any future considerations against the company."

this makes you a liar: fda said it would consider the information within the extraordinary circumstances, which is very, very different from excluding it.

FDA also does not choose to apply its laws depending on if an individual knows senators or not. It cannot -- it would be liable to many lawsuits. Thus should FDA mandate access to Tysabri to all multiple myeloma patients positive for this marker?

Also:

President Bill Clinton, Senator John Kerry, Senator John Harkin, Senator Ted Kennedy, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach and others who you spoke with on Friday and again yesterday on Monday have all pleaded with you to say “yes”, assuring you that there would be no legal risk and no negative consequences to your company if something went wrong, but you continue to say “no”.

This is misleading. In America, as you well know, if something is legal or not is decided by the courts, not Bill Clinton or John Harkin. No one can assure you there will be "no legal risk", especially not a bunch of senators.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Shareholder — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:20:08 -0000

Andrew,
As a shareholder, I read your blog with concern that Mr. Mullen has been so uncooperative. Please forward your information to Jim Cramer's blog and to Carl Ichan's blog. Mr. Mullen should be placed on Jim Cramer's Wall of Shame! Carl Ichan has been attempting to oust him as well.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

George — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:21:57 -0000

Fantastic news! Godspeed and swift recovery to your dad.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

Dwight James — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:08:17 -0000

Andrew, I have known your father and Lisa for many years. I have admired the fine person that he is. He has lived his life well for good purpose and we pray he has many more meaningful days ahead. Please tell Fred and Lisa that they are in our thoughts and prayers. Dwight and Lois James

Re: Tysabri Obtained

new widow — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:24:13 -0000

I wish your father and all his family and friends the very best of luck. After a 5+
year battle with MM my husband died earlier this month in terrible pain and
agony. I had never heard of tysabri but Revlimid extended his life about two and
one half years.

All of you being so hard on the drug company should be aware that many of us who
suffer from RA would give everything we have to get our drugs which were effective
back after massive class action law suits forced their withdrawal from the market. Not
many things in this complicated world can effectively be seen as being either black or
white (or only good or bad).

Re: Tysabri Obtained

rolled — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:23:50 -0000

Gary, there is a MM trial for Tysabri ongoing right now. The FDA helped set up the acceptance criteria for this trial. The trial is not fully accrued and Mr. Baron did not apparently qualify. But, the FDA has given permission for Mr. Baron to receive the drug. By this logic, all MM patients should be allowed access to this drug. And I would bet Biogen would like to sell it to as many MM patients as possible.

Re: Tysabri Obtained

gary levinson — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:09:05 -0000

Andrew,

Bravo to you for your eloquent no holds barred letter. How inconceivable it is that a pharmaceutical company would have a drug so readily available and NOT bend over backwards (with proper releases) to make it available. I deeply hope that this not only saves Fred's life but becomes a watershed event for all business to reflect on what they do and why they do it. Fred, we love you and are pulling for you!

Gary