US doctors still wary of Elan drug TYSABRI- survey
US doctors are proving more wary than many had expected about prescribing Elan's multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri, which was relaunched in July after being suspended because of safety concerns.

Over the past month or so, analysts have drawn down their 2006 sales forecasts as it becomes clear that doctors wary of the risk of the rare but potentially fatal brain disease PML are reserving the drug as a treatment of last resort.

The drug, which is made by Elan and its US Biogen Idec, had been expected by some analysts to generate sales this year of more than $100m, but those figures have dropped dramatically.

Ian Hunter, an analyst at Goodbody stockbrokers, said yesterday that he has cut his full-year Tysabri forecast to $25.7m from $78m, partly because of continuing safety concerns and the complexity of reimbursement systems in Europe.

A survey of 63 US neurologists indicates that in 2006 Tysabri will be used in less than 1% of multiple sclerosis patients - translating into revenue of under $30m.

Since July, only 47 of more than 8,500 patients treated by US physicians surveyed had used Tysabri, even though more than 700 patients had discussed using it, according to the report.

And more than 75% of the patients who had used Tysabri prior to its 2005 suspension have decided not to use it since its reintroduction..... MORE