Neck-and-Neck in Nephrology

Nabi with PhosLo and Genzyme with Renagel now split the market for dialysis patients requiring treatment for high phosphate levels. Soon a third firm will enter the fray--the UK's Shire. Thus far, the marketing battle has been fought with nitty-gritty clinical data. But now Genzyme is raising the notion of "accumulation" to stigmatize competitors, while Nabi emphasizes the issue of cost. The competitive stakes are rising because Medicare changes in 2006 will dramatically expand the market.