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Cancer Patients Eligible for Drug Refund, Gannon Says

Under a settlement announced last April between the state attorney general's office and the pharmaceutical manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Pennsylvania residents who were prescribed the cancer-fighting drugs Taxol or Paclitaxel are entitled to a refund, said Rep. Tom Gannon (R-Delaware). The deadline to submit a claim is Jan. 31.

Currently, fewer than 70 Pennsylvania residents eligible for the refund program have applied. Pennsylvania residents who were prescribed Taxol or Paclitaxel and were charged a copayment for the drugs will receive a total refund of $525, and uninsured patients will receive a refund of $438 per treatment.

Eligible residents include those who:

*Received Taxol or Paclitaxel between Jan. 1, 1999, and Feb. 28, 2003.
*Were charged a copayment by their insurance provider for the drugs or did not have insurance coverage and paid for the drugs on their own.
*Are the legal representative of a deceased patient who paid for all or part of the drug treatments during the three-year time period.

Taxol and Paclitaxel are used to treat non-small cell lung cancer, breast and ovarian cancers and AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma.

In April, Attorney General Mike Fisher and attorneys general from 49 states and U.S. territories announced the $62.5 million settlement with BMS to resolve claims that the company manipulated the federal patent process to extend the monopoly on its cancer-fighting drug, Taxol.

Delaware County residents can receive a claim form for submission by calling 1-800-659-7609, or by visiting www.taxolsettlement.com.


Rep. Thomas Gannon
161st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(610) 461-5543
(717) 783-6430
www.repgannon.com
Contact: Jennifer J. Algoe
House Republican Communications
(717) 787-3993
www.pahousegop.com

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