Priority Healthcare Chosen By Bertek as a Specialty Distributor of Apokyn

Priority Healthcare Chosen By Bertek as a Specialty Distributor
of Apokyn 


LAKE MARY, FL, June 1  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Priority Healthcare
Corporation (NASDAQ:PHCC) has been chosen by Bertek Pharmaceuticals, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Mylan Laboratories Inc., (NYSE:MYL), to be a specialty
distributor provider of Apokyn(TM) (apomorphine hydrochloride injection). This
agreement is in addition to the previously announced preferred specialty
pharmacy relationship.  Apokyn, approved April 20, 2004 by the FDA, is the
first and only therapy in the United States indicated as an acute intermittent
treatment of hypomobility, or "off" episodes, in patients with advanced
Parkinson's disease.  Apokyn will be available for patient use in July.

"We are pleased to leverage both our specialty distribution and specialty
pharmacy services to provide customized services for Parkinson's patients and
their physicians," said Steve Cosler, President and CEO of Priority Healthcare.
 "As the healthcare industry evolves, patients, physicians, pharmaceutical
manufacturers, and payors have found numerous benefits to having a one-stop,
comprehensive source for complex and chronic disease therapies.  Providing
medications through both specialty channels helps patients and physicians
manage diseases at home with added care from pharmacists and nurses and in
their doctor's office."

  Priority Healthcare's specialty distribution services for Apokyn include:

   * Overnight delivery of medications and supplies
   * Injection device distribution
   * Product consultation with clinically-trained sales and customer service
     associates

  Priority Healthcare's specialty pharmacy services for Apokyn will include:

   * Caring Paths(TM) disease treatment management process, specific to
     Parkinson's disease.
   * Expert treatment preparation by clinical pharmacists.
   * Express shipping direct to homes, physician offices, or other
     convenient locations.
   * Detailed personal instruction and educational materials for self-
     administration.
   * Access to pharmacists and nurses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365
     days a year.
   * Insurance counseling and assistance through reimbursement specialists
     who oversee the submission and approval process of claims.
   * Coordination of all aspects of patient care with the physician's
     office.



Priority Healthcare has a team of clinicians available to speak directly with
Parkinson's patients and health care providers at 888-9APOKYN (888-927- 6596). 
Providers may also fax enrollment forms for patients to 888-704-3603.

About Parkinson's disease

Afflicting the central nervous system, Parkinson's disease is characterized by
resting tremors, stiffness in limbs, slowness of movement, and postural
instability.  Parkinson's is estimated to affect 1-1.5 million Americans, with
incidence increasing with age.  As the disease progresses, patients become less
responsive to their medications, such as levodopa, and may develop motor
fluctuations referred to as "off" episodes.  "Off" episodes are debilitating
periods of partial loss of movement or total immobility experienced by patients
with advanced Parkinson's disease.  These episodes are characterized by
stiffness of the limbs, slowness, immobility and, in most cases, tremor. 
Because patients with Parkinson's disease lose motor control duing "off"
episodes, walking, eating, bathing, and even speaking may be more impaired
during an "off" episode.

About Apokyn

Apokyn does not prevent off episodes and does not replace other Parkinson's
disease medications, but rather it is used as an acute (rescue) therapy to
effectively treat an off episode when it occurs.  Apokyn is given by injection
under the skin.  Apokyn should not be used by patients who are being treated
with certain drugs for nausea or irritable bowel syndrome called 5HT3
antagonists or blockers (including, for example, ondansetron, granisetron,
dolasetron, palonesetron, and alosetron). In addition, Apokyn should not be
used by patients who have an allergic reaction to the drug or its ingredients
(notably sodium metabisulfite).  Apokyn should be injected under the skin only,
and not into a vein.    Apokyn may lower blood pressure (orthostatic
hypotension), cause fainting, and increase the risk of falling. At recommended
doses minimal increases in QTC were observed.  Caution should be used when
prescribing apomorphine with drugs that prolong the QT/QTC interval.  Some
patients treated with Apokyn may get sleepy during the day or fall asleep
without warning while doing everyday activities.  The most common side effects
of Apokyn are yawning, dyskinesias, nausea and/or vomiting, sleepiness,
dizziness, runny nose, hallucinations, fluid retention, chest pain, increased
sweating, flushing, and an unusually pale complexion.

Additional information on Apokyn is available from Bertek Pharmaceuticals at:
http://www.apokyn.com/ or by calling 1-877-7APOKYN (1-877-727-6596).

About Priority Healthcare Corporation

Priority Healthcare Corporation is a national specialty pharmacy and
distributor that provides biopharmaceuticals, complex therapies, and related
disease treatment programs and services.  Priority Healthcare provides
comprehensive programs for patients, payors, physicians, and pharmaceutical
manufacturers for a growing number of disease states including cancer,
hepatitis C, respiratory and pulmonary conditions, infertility, rheumatoid
arthritis, hemophilia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, and age-related macular
degeneration.  Additional information regarding Priority Healthcare is
available at http://www.priorityhealthcare.com/

Certain statements included in this press release, which are not historical
facts, are forward-looking statements.  Such forward-looking statements are
made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These forward-looking statements represent our
expectations or beliefs and involve certain risks and uncertainties, including
those described in our public filings with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission; also including, but not limited to, changes in interest
rates, competitive pressures, changes in customer mix, changes in third party
reimbursement rates, financial stability of major customers, changes in
government regulations or the interpretation of these regulations, changes in
supplier relationships, growth opportunities, cost savings, revenue
enhancements, synergies and other benefits anticipated from acquisition
transactions, difficulties relative to integrating acquired businesses, the
accounting and tax treatment of acquisitions, and asserted and unasserted
claims, which could cause actual results to differ from those in the
forward-looking statements.  The forward-looking statements by their nature
involve substantial risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond our
control, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of
important factors.  You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date herein. 

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030417/PHCLOGODATASOURCE: Priority
Healthcare Corporation



CONTACT:  Financial - Stephen Saft, Chief Financial Officer,

[phone], or Media - Kirsten Ayars, Public Relations Manager,

[phone], both of Priority Healthcare Corporation



Web site:  http://www.priorityhealthcare.com/

http://www.apokyn.com/ 

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