The Supreme Court of Canada ruled this week that U.S. biotechnology firm Celgene must give Canadian regulators the information needed to review the price it charges for its Thalidomide drug.
Advocates say the ruling is a victory for patients, particularly those that need access to expensive mediations.
"If you are going to make your drug available in Canada . . . you are going to have to abide by the rules that Canada has set around what prices you can charge," Dr. Joel Lexchin told CTV News. "You can't avoid it."
Thalidomide was banned in 1961 after the anti-nausea drug was found to have caused serious birth defects to thousands of children whose mothers had taken the drug during pregnancy.
However, the drug has made a comeback over the last decade, being used to treat AIDS, leprosy and some forms of cancer.
It was originally priced at $400 a month, but Celgene eventually boosted its cost to nearly $4,000 a month – a 900 per cent increase.
"I wouldn't be able to afford that . . . I'd have to cash in my pensions," Dan Childerhose, who suffers from a rare blood cancer and was prescribed the drug, told CTV's W5 in 2010.
When Canada's Patented Medicine Prices Review Board wanted to investigate if the price of the drug was "excessive," Celgene said the Canadian government had no jurisdiction because the drug was only available under a special program.
Due to the Supreme Court ruling, the review board can now ask the company to lower the price of Thalidomide if it finds its price is too high.
Celgene officials said the company is "committed to providing Canadian patients access to the . . . therapy and . . . will now work with the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board."
With a report from CTV's medical specialist Avis Favaro
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110123/thalidomide-ruling-110123/?
Advocates say the ruling is a victory for patients, particularly those that need access to expensive mediations.
"If you are going to make your drug available in Canada . . . you are going to have to abide by the rules that Canada has set around what prices you can charge," Dr. Joel Lexchin told CTV News. "You can't avoid it."
Thalidomide was banned in 1961 after the anti-nausea drug was found to have caused serious birth defects to thousands of children whose mothers had taken the drug during pregnancy.
However, the drug has made a comeback over the last decade, being used to treat AIDS, leprosy and some forms of cancer.
It was originally priced at $400 a month, but Celgene eventually boosted its cost to nearly $4,000 a month – a 900 per cent increase.
"I wouldn't be able to afford that . . . I'd have to cash in my pensions," Dan Childerhose, who suffers from a rare blood cancer and was prescribed the drug, told CTV's W5 in 2010.
When Canada's Patented Medicine Prices Review Board wanted to investigate if the price of the drug was "excessive," Celgene said the Canadian government had no jurisdiction because the drug was only available under a special program.
Due to the Supreme Court ruling, the review board can now ask the company to lower the price of Thalidomide if it finds its price is too high.
Celgene officials said the company is "committed to providing Canadian patients access to the . . . therapy and . . . will now work with the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board."
With a report from CTV's medical specialist Avis Favaro
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110123/thalidomide-ruling-110123/?
1 comment:
Do you know a better example of gaming the system? Here is a 50-year old drug being re-commissioned for new indications and the new use patent holders are intent on stiffing those who need it. Something similar is being worked up by Corcept Therapeutics. Years ago they projected a price of $3000 for a one-week course of treatment with mifepristone (RU486) for psychotic depression. That is many multiples of the cost of the same drug in gynecology.
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