Insider tips his hat to Health Care Renewals' analysis of a WSJ article on Big Pharmas' price gouging for orphan drugs.
"Last year, Genzyme Corp. a Cambridge, Mass. biotech firm, posted sales of $840 million on its drug for Gaucher disease, which affects fewer than 10,000 people world-wide. Treating the average patient costs $200,000 annually, the company says. But the price of the drug, dosed by weight, can run as high as $600,000 a year for adults on the higher of the two recommended doses."
The CEO of Genzyme, Henri Termeer when asked why the price is not lower, he responded, "What's the difference between charging $200,000 or charging $175,000 to a patient? No one can afford it without insurance."
Interesting pricing model there Henri!
The current director of the FDA Office of Orphan Products, Marlene Haffner, commented, "I just find it unconscionable that someone can charge that much."
Insider wonders who should do somthing about it?
Read the full piece, by Roy M Poses MD, here:
http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2005/11/exorbitant-costs-of-orphan-drugs.html
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