Notes from BIO: TOUCH for Diabetes

Biogen Idec's TOUCH program for Tysabri "gave doctors and patients confidence" in their ability to use the MS therapy safely, PDI CEO Nancy Lurker said during a panel on the Risk Evaluation & Mitigation Strategies, moderated by your humble blogger.

"I would use that as a template" for trying to market diabetes drugs in an era of focus on cardiovascular safety. The risk of cardiovascular toxicity is not as black-and-white as the risk of PML associated with Tysabri, Lurker says, but the principle is the same: a REMS can help reassure endocrinologists that they can use new medicines safely.

Lurker previously served as chief marketing officer at Novartis, at a time when the company was counting on Galvus in the US....