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Source:TechCrunch
This is a story that’s bound to explode onto mainstream media today. RocketBoom founder Andrew Baron’s father, Frederick Baron, is dying of multiple myeloma, a particularly nasty form of cancer. last week doctors gave him days to live - as of this morning he’s still fighting.

According to a blog post by Andrew, the family was preparing for the worst. And then a possible miracle cure: one of Frederick’s doctors discovered last week that a multiple sclerosis drug called Tysabri, produced by Biogen Idec, may cure the cancer.

The drug was not FDA approved for treating multiple myeloma, but Baron’s father has friends in the right places - Lance Armstrong, President Bill Clinton, Senator John Kerry, Senator Tom Harkin and Senator Ted Kennedy all personally requested that the FDA approve the use. FDA head Andrew von Eschenbach ok’d it, and the drug was moved to Baron’s hospital.

But then things get crazy. The CEO of Biogen Idec, James Mullen, has apparently refused to approve the experimental use of the drug for Baron, despite personal telephone calls from all of the individuals above.

What is he thinking.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 14th, 2008 at 9:30 am and is filed under Company & Product Profiles, RocketBoom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.