Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Cancer Drugs Come Under Fire For Prices And Failing To Show Effectiveness
Stat: Cancer Drug Reports: No Link Between Benefit And Price
Cancer drugs have been under a critical lens for many years now — and for good reason, according to a duo of new papers. Two thirds of recently approved cancer drugs just don’t work all that well, particularly when compared to their cost, according to a report in the Annals of Oncology. Another notable conclusion: The paper found no improved benefit from personalized medicine drugs, and first-in-class drugs. (Keshavan, 2/9)
Kaiser Health News: Dozens Of New Cancer Drugs Do Little To Improve Survival, Frustrating Patients
Marlene McCarthy’s breast cancer has grown relentlessly over the past seven years, spreading painfully through her bones and making it impossible to walk without a cane. Although the 73-year-old knows there’s no cure for her disease, she wants researchers to do better. It’s been years, she said, since she has found a drug that has actually helped. McCarthy said she’s frustrated that the Food and Drug Administration is approving cancer drugs without proof that they cure patients or help them live longer. (Szabo, 2/9)
Chicago Tribune: Northbrook Company's Muscular Dystrophy Drug Wins FDA Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a Northbrook pharmaceutical company's drug to treat a deadly form of childhood-onset muscular dystrophy — only the second FDA-approved drug for the disease and the first for everyone with the disorder. ... The approval of the drug, which will carry a list price of $89,000 for a year's supply, comes as pharmaceutical companies face growing pressure to hold down medication prices. ... Prices for medications such as deflazacort, which are used to treat rare diseases and called orphan drugs, are often much higher than drugs for more common ailments. The top 100 orphan drugs in the U.S. cost an average of $111,820 a year per patient in 2014, according to a report by Evaluate, a market research firm. (Schencker, 2/9)
Politico Pro: Double Whammy? New Drug Approval Raises Concerns About Pricing, Abuse Of Rare Disease Incentives
The FDA Thursday approved an old drug to treat a rare disease, a move that sparked fears that the manufacturer will dramatically increase the drug’s price. The approval is also raising red flags among health policy experts who say this looks like another case of a drug company abusing incentives designed to encourage new innovations for patients. ... some health policy experts say the company may be overpricing the drug because it was approved for a rare condition. Drugs used to treat rare disease are typically able to command large price tags with less push back from payers. (Karlin-Smith, 2/9)
Related KHN coverage: The Orphan Drug Machine (Tribble, Lupkin and de Marco)
Stat: Stung By Criticism, Pharmacy Benefits Managers Try To Push Back
Five months after drug makers began openly blaming pharmacy benefit managers for rising prices, these crucial middlemen in the arcane and complicated health care system are starting to fight back. On Monday, the trade group representing pharmacy benefits managers, which negotiate prices on behalf of health plans and create lists of drug that receive preferred coverage, circulated a memo to its members outlining a six-point plan designed to push back against mounting criticism of their business. (Silverman, 2/9)
