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| |  Zerit for HIV/AIDS to be Reimbursed by Ontario Government MONTREAL, Dec. 19, 1996 -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Group today announced that Zerit (stavudine, also known as d4T), its antiretroviral agent active against HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), will be covered by Ontario's Drug Benefit Program (OBP). Zerit belongs to a class of antiretroviral drugs called necleoside analogues. It was discovered, developed and is manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Zerit, which was cleared by the Health Protection Board (HPB) in March 1996 and has been available in Canada since July 1996, is indicated for the treatment of adults with HIV infection who have undergone prior treatment with zidovudine (AZT). "Bristol-Myers Squibb has made a commitment to the AIDS community to provide the most active and cost effective therapies to persons with AIDS throughout Canada. We are pleased that Ontario's formulary has taken the action necessary to ensure that Zerit is available to all persons with AIDS and we hope that all provinces will follow in the near future," said Sophia Fourie, M.D., Vice President, Scientific Affairs, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Group. In addition to its proven efficacy, Zerit is also less expensive than most other antiretroviral agents. Because Zerit capsules are only taken twice a day, the usual daily cost of Zerit therapy is $8.50, versus $10.86 for Retrovir(R) (AZT) and $8.80 for Epivir(R) (3TC). "Zerit is an important member of an AIDS physicians' antiretroviral treatment armamentarium because it is one of the few drugs that can cross the blood brain barrier and is generally easy to take and well-tolerated," commented Alexander Klein, M.D., an HIV primary care physician in Toronto. "Convenience and tolerability of treatment options are becoming key factors in determining eventual clinical outcomes. As the clinical outlook in the treatment of HIV and AIDS continues to evolve, the importance of access to all available treatment options cannot be emphasized enough." "We applaud Ontario's decision to reimburse Zerit," said Wayne Moore, Co-Chair of the Canadian Treatment Advocates Council. "As the province with the highest number of reported AIDS cases in Canada (42% of total cases), persons with AIDS in Ontario can only stand to benefit from this decision. We urge other provinces to reimburse not only Zerit, but all treatments that have been granted approval by Health Canada. Persons living with HIV/AIDS need access to therapies regardless of where they live in Canada." Bristol-Myers Squibb is a diversified, research-based health and personal care company whose principal businesses are pharmaceuticals, consumer products, nutritionals and medical devices. (x) T.M. Authorized user Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Inc. ANTIRETROVIRAL COST COMPARISON(x)
(x) Based on usual adult dosage (xx) Based on 1996 manufacturers list prices
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