http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=020110005873&query=sclerosis
Jan 10, 2002
Salu(R), Inc., the developer of Medical
Specialty Hubs(TM) that provide Web-based tools and services to help physician-specialists
improve patient care and practice efficiency, announced today that Biogen,
Inc. , the manufacturer of AVONEX(R) (Interferon beta-1a), the world's
leading treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), will participate in NeuroHub,
Salu's Medical Specialty Hub(TM) for neurologists. Under the terms of the
multi-year agreement, Biogen will offer neurologists access to NeuroHub
Web capabilities. This will help Biogen to reach neurologists and their
patients with information and educational materials about MS and AVONEX(R),
as well as information about any forthcoming drugs.
"Biogen's leadership in the multiple
sclerosis therapeutic area is a great fit with Salu because more than half
of U.S. office-based neurologists are enrolled in NeuroHub," said Jim Steeb,
President and CEO of Salu. "With this agreement, Biogen can integrate NeuroHub's
flexible and customizable tools and services into its overall physician
communication initiatives," Steeb added.
"We believe the Internet is playing
an increasingly important role in patient education, and through our relationship
with Salu we are pleased to make these communications tools available to
neurologists and people with MS," said Rob Perez, Vice President, CNS Business
Unit of Biogen. "We value Salu's dedication and focus on specialists --
in this case neurologists -- because effective relationships with these
physicians and their patients are of tremendous importance to us," added
Perez.
The partnership will provide Biogen
with a direct business channel to reach top-prescribing neurologists and
their patients and provide them with educational information and programs.
The agreement offers Biogen a set of services, including the creation of
a Partner Resource Center on NeuroHub that provides physicians with new
study information, drug updates, research information, online continuing
medical education (CME) courses, patient education materials, and more.
The agreement also will provide Biogen
with broader exposure for its current Internet initiatives, including its
MS ActiveSource(TM) Web site, that offer MS patients and their care partners
support and information to help them better manage the disease. Information
about MS research and educational events, interactive learning tools, disease
and therapy information and community support can be found on the MS ActiveSource(TM)
Web site. Through the agreement with Salu, MS patients will be able to
access Biogen's MS ActiveSource(TM) Web site directly from their doctor's
Web site along with other important disease and therapy information.
Salu provides a range of specialty-specific
products and services to physician-specialists -- including the development
of individualized Web sites -- to help its members deliver quality care,
operate their practices more efficiently and increase revenue. Salu field
representatives visit with specialists and provide them -- from one integrated
source -- easy access to 500 proprietary tools and business consultation
resources including a handheld prescription writer and a full range of
products and services offered through business and pharmaceutical partners,
such as Biogen. In addition, Salu's Patient Center, a secure site for physician-patient
communication, combines health education, medical reference materials and
secure messaging.
Salu has partnerships with several
leading pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca, Elan Pharmaceuticals
and Organon. Salu is also in discussions with other pharmaceutical companies
focusing on neurology, as well as companies with products in various specialty
categories including dermatology, gastroenterology and reproductive medicine.
About Salu(R), Inc.
Salu(R), Inc. is based on the premise
that medical specialists have distinctly different needs. Salu's unique
Medical Specialty Hubs(TM) offer customized tools and services to help
specialists increase practice efficiency and improve patient care. Today,
a significant percentage of the nation's allergists, dermatologists, neurologists
and cardiologists access Salu Medical Specialty Hubs to run more efficient,
profitable practices. Salu provides strategic partners with access to an
organized and efficient marketplace of specialists and their practices.
Additionally, the Salu Medical Specialty Hubs provide an efficient and
complementary channel for pharmaceutical companies to access specialists
and their patients. NeuroHub, a division of Salu, Inc., provides an efficient
business channel to neurologists and pain medicine specialists and serves
well over 4,000 neurologists through online and offline services.
Salu is a leading sponsor of the
eHealth Ethics Initiative developed by the Internet Healthcare Coalition
and the recipient of a 2001 eHealthcare Leadership Award for Best Site
Design among physician/clinical focused sites. The distinction was awarded
by eHealthcare Strategy & Trends, a leading Internet publication and
online resource. Potential partners and interested physician-specialists
can learn more about Salu by visiting http://www.salu.com/
or calling 888-288-SALU.
About Biogen
Biogen, Inc., winner of the U.S.
National Medal of Technology, is a biopharmaceutical company principally
engaged in discovering and developing drugs for human health care through
genetic engineering. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., the company's revenues
are generated from international sales of AVONEX(R) (Interferon beta-1a)
for treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, and from the worldwide
sales by licensees of a number of products, including alpha interferon
and hepatitis B vaccines and diagnostic products. Biogen's research and
development activities are focused on novel products to treat inflammatory
and autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases, cancer, fibrosis and congestive
heart failure. The company maintains active clinical research programs
in protein therapeutics, small molecules, genomics and gene therapy. For
copies of press releases and additional information about the company,
please consult Biogen's home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.biogen.com/
.
Contact: Jeremiah Hall of Ogilvy
PR Worldwide, +1-415-677-2720, for Salu, Inc.
World Reporter All Material Subject
to Copyright
PR Newswire - USA;
Website: http://www.biogen.com/
Website: http://www.salu.com/