New Research on Asthma, MS and IVIG Treatments

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FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., May 20, 2009 -- Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS) and its specialty pharmacy business, Accredo Health Group Inc, are presenting new research this week at the 14th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Pharmacoecnomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) in Orlando, Florida.

“Our research aims to advance how pharmacy care can improve outcomes for patients with chronic and complex conditions by delivering the greatest therapeutic benefit in a cost-effective way,” said Dr. Robert S. Epstein, Medco Chief Medical Officer. “To find the best approaches, we are looking at a variety of areas that can impact treatment results including patient response to medication and the pharmacy channels, settings, and care models that are most effective for promoting medication adherence.”

Statins cut hospitalization/ER costs for asthma patients
A study by researchers from Medco and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that asthma patients taking statins in conjunction with inhaled corticosteroids reduced their risk of an asthma-related hospitalization and ER visit, and also lowered their costs. The 6,574-patient study found that patients taking statins, drugs widely used for reducing cholesterol, were 33 percent less likely to have an asthma-related hospitalization or ER visit over the course of a year than patients not using a statin, resulting in 18 percent lower hospitalization costs and 43 percent lower emergency room costs. Over the 12-month study, hospitalization and ER-related costs for patients on inhaled corticosteroids but not taking statins were $1,354 compared with $1,123 for those who used statins in conjunction with their asthma therapy. While the cost difference is fairly small on a per patient basis, given the large number of patients with asthma, projections show that cost savings could be as great as $33 million per year.

Specialty pharmacy improves compliance for MS patients
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a central nervous system disease striking 400,000 Americans, are more adherent to their treatment programs when they receive their drugs from a specialty pharmacy rather than a retail drugstore. The study, conducted by Medco’s Accredo Health Group, included 19,742 MS patients and found that patients using immunomodulators are almost 15 percent more likely to remain on their treatment when the medication was obtained through a specialty pharmacy. Of the patients in the study using a specialty pharmacy, 81.5 percent were considered adherent as compared to 71.2 percent of patients using a retail pharmacy. The medications used by patients in the study included Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone and Rebif, all of which are self-injected/self-infused drugs that help reduce the frequency and severity of MS flare-ups.

“Specialty pharmacy provides a greater degree of expertise when it comes to helping patients manage complex medical conditions such as MS,” said Richard J. Faris, vice president of health outcomes solutions at Accredo, one of the study researchers. “Specialty nurses train patients to use the treatments properly and also counsel them through managing side effects, both of which play an important part in helping patients adhere to their treatment and keep the condition in check.”

IVIG safe for home therapy
Accredo researchers found that providing Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) in a home setting is safe, making it a good alternative to providing these treatments in hospitals or infusion centers. Only 2.06 percent of patients receiving IG at home experienced adverse drug events, which is far below the rate experienced in the medical facilities. The home setting can provide a significant cost reduction for this expensive treatment, while also reducing the risk of a hospital-borne infection. IVIG is often used as a last resort treatment for infectious disease or treating neurological disorders. It is not an easy therapy for patients, due to its infusion time that can be as long as five to six hours and the inconvenience of travel for nonambulatory patients.

“We cannot use a cookie cutter approach to these patients since some patients may require a hospital setting for their treatments,” said Accredo’s Mark Tankersley, one of the study researchers. “But, when appropriate, receiving IVIG at home can be far more convenient and add to a patient’s quality of life.”

About ISPOR
ISPOR promotes the science of pharmacoeconomics (health economics) and outcomes research (the scientific discipline that evaluates the effect of health care interventions on patient well-being, including clinical outcomes, economic outcomes, and patient-reported outcomes) and facilitates the translation of this research into useful information for health care decision-makers to ensure that society allocates scarce health care resources wisely, fairly and efficiently.

About Medco
Medco Health Solutions, Inc (NYSE: MHS) is a leading health care company, serving the needs of more than 60 million people. Medco, the world’s most advanced pharmacy®, provides clinically driven pharmacy services designed to improve the quality of care and lower total health care costs for private and public employers, health plans, labor unions and government agencies of all sizes, and for individuals served by Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans. Through its unique Medco Therapeutic Resource Centers® and the Accredo Health Group, Medco’s Specialty Pharmacy, the company is creating innovative models for the care of patients with chronic and complex conditions. Medco is a leader in the emerging field of personalized medicine and in applying evidence-based protocols to elevate the practice of pharmacy –a key element in reforming America’s health care system. Medco is ranked number 45 on the Fortune 500 list, with 2008 revenues of more than $51 billion. For more information about Medco, go to http://www.medcohealth.com.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the risks and uncertainties that affect our business, particularly those mentioned in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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