Friday, February 10, 2017

Beth Mole — Old, generic drug for rare disease gets new price tag: $89,000 per year


More economic rent.
The steroid drug, deflazacort, which treats Duchenne muscular dystrophy, has been approved overseas for years and is sold as a generic. Duchenne affects about 15,000 people in the US. Families here have been importing a year’s worth for around $1,200.
But Marathon Pharmaceuticals (a member of the PhRMA trade group) finally got it FDA-approved Thursday under an “orphan drug” status, which is for drugs that treat rare diseases. Under that status, Marathon has exclusive rights to sell deflazacort in the US for seven years....
Parasitism or vampirism?

Ars Technica
Old, generic drug for rare disease gets new price tag: $89,000 per year
Beth Mole

4 comments:

Noah Way said...

I think 'extortion' is a more accurate term than 'rent'.

Ryan Harris said...

Innovation and Consumer Protections aren't free!
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/marathon-pharmaceuticals-political-action-committee.asp?cycle=16

Owned/Run by same people as Ovation Pharma, Highland Capital, Paragon Pharma. ALL Big Contributors to Chicago machine. Last minute gift, perhaps? Regulatory monopolies are priceless.

MRW said...

Criminal.

Andrew Anderson said...

He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. Proverbs 11:26

But not to worry greedy drug withholders since:

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not alight. Proverbs 26:2

Oops! I guess you should repent, greedy drug withholders, since the implication is that a curse with cause might alight on the one cursed.