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Thyrogen® Added to Medicare’s Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP)

September 22, 2006

Thyrogen® Added to Medicare’s Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Genzyme Corporation today announced that Thyrogen®
(thyrotropin alfa for injection) has been added to the list of drugs available under the Medicare Part B Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP).

This will allow Thyrogen, a diagnostic tool used to detect recurring or remaining thyroid cancer cells in patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer, to now be ordered for Medicare-covered patients through BioScrip, the approved CAP vendor.

As a result of the inclusion of Thyrogen on the list of approved CAP drugs, physicians electing to participate in the program will no longer have to buy and bill Thyrogen under the average sales price (ASP) system, but instead will be able to obtain Thyrogen directly through BioScrip.

The CAP is expected to reduce the time that physicians and their office staff spend in completing and submitting paperwork. Under CAP, the physician does not purchase the drug and seek payment from Medicare but, rather, orders the medication from Bioscrip. Physicians who choose to participate in the CAP continue to be paid by Medicare for the cost of administering the drugs to Medicare beneficiaries. BioScrip’s team of specialists handle the billing for drugs included in the CAP and collect any deductible and coinsurance from beneficiaries. Physicians can also choose to continue to purchase drugs directly in the market and be paid at the statutorily established rate, which, for most Medicare drugs, is 106% of Average Sales Price (ASP).

Thyrogen is currently indicated in the U.S. for use as a diagnostic tool in the
Management of patients being tested for the recurrence of well-differentiated thyroid cancer.

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