5 replies to this topic

[niner]

The latest record cost for a course of treatment has broken the million euro barrier.

[Kalliste]

Depressing to see so many making the Elysium connection.

[Mind]

High cost not unexpected at this point.

[niner]

The pharmaceutical industry seems to have decided that it needs a billion a year, more or less.  If a drug has a very small patient population, like this one, then it looks like they do a calculation that starts with the profit margin they want, then works backward, dividing development/marketing/etc costs by number of patients.  There's a similar situation with Vertex's Cystic Fibrosis drug, or with Hep C cures.   Part of the calculation with the Hep C drug involves the cost of the liver transplant that it prevents.  It's kind of cynical, but then so is the pricing of designer handbags.  The difference, of course, being that one can live without a Chanel bag.

[forever freedom]

Companies gotta make their money back. They did find a cure for the condition..

[niner]

Companies gotta make their money back. They did find a cure for the condition..

I agree that they need to make their money back, but in a world where those medicines are always paid for by people other than the one getting the drug, (either through taxes or higher insurance premiums), it's legitimate to ask how much profit we can afford to give them.  Since money resources aren't infinite, every dollar spent on one drug is a dollar not available to be spent on a different drug, which includes drugs that may help a far larger number of people.