Before a crowd of some 600 people at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, Genzyme ceo Henri Termeer told investors that about 80 percent of patients who use Cerezyme, which is used to treat Gaucher's disease, have resumed treatments after manufacturing problems at its Allston Landing, Ma., plant interrupted supplies last year.
Termeer also insisted the biotech hasn't had any contact with Carl Icahn, who holds 1.5 million Genzyme shares and has been rumored to be interested in waging a proxy fight in the wake of the production gaffes. Icahn associate's Alex Denner attended the presentation, which drew a standing-room-only crowd for a subsequent question-and-answer session, according to The Pink Sheet.
Want background? Try this, this and this.
[full disclosure - Ed Silverman is an editor at the Pink Sheet]
2 Comments
Given the fact that Cerezyme is the only approved therapy for Gaucher's disease, should Termeer be crowing? What are the other 20 percent doing?
This is frightening.
Laura,
Presumably, most of the other 20% are receiving one of two experimental drugs for Gaucher that FDA has okayed under an emergency access program.