Price Of Alzheimer’s Drug Aduhelm Halved To $28,200
News outlets report on Biogen's reaction to "slower-than-expected" U.S. sales. Hospitals have complained that the controversial drug's high cost wasn't worth its benefits. Biogen is also seeking to save $500 million in costs across the company next year.
Reuters:
Biogen Halves Price Of Alzheimer's Drug To $28,200
Biogen Inc (BIIB.O) on Monday cut the price of its Alzheimer's drug by about half to $28,200 for an average weight person after facing slower-than-expected U.S. sales on complaints from hospitals that its high cost was not worth its benefits. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug, Aduhelm, in June to treat the brain-wasting disease despite the view of its outside advisory panel that Biogen had not proven the treatment's clinical benefit. (Khandekar, 12/20)
Stat:
Biogen Slashes Price Of Aduhelm In Half, Plans $500M In Cost-Cutting
Biogen said Monday that it has reduced the price of its Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm by half and is planning a series of cost-cutting measures across the company next year that aim to save $500 million. The moves follow a disappointing commercial launch of Aduhelm, as well as anger over the drug’s high price. (Feuerstein, 12/20)
FiercePharma:
Biogen Halves Aduhelm's Price And Plots Cost Cuts As Medicare Decision On Controversial Alzheimer's Drug Nears
In tandem with the price cut, Biogen said it will launch an overhaul with the goal to cut $500 million in annual costs. Translation: Layoffs are likely around the corner. The company said it’s still finalizing the details and will unveil the plan in the first quarter next year. (Liu, 12/20)
CBS News:
After Criticisms, Biogen Slashes Price Of Its Alzheimer Drug In Half
Biogen CEO Michel Vounatsos said in a prepared statement that too many patients were not being offered the drug due to "financial considerations," and their disease had progressed beyond the point where Aduhelm could help. (12/20)
Axios:
Alzheimer's Drug Aduhelm Goes On Clearance, But Still Lacks Proof It Works
Aduhelm's price cut comes less than a week after the European Medicines Agency — the FDA of the European Union — rejected the drug on the grounds that there is no definitive proof it works. "Although Aduhelm reduces amyloid beta in the brain, the link between this effect and clinical improvement had not been established," the EMA said. "Results from the main studies were conflicting and did not show overall that Aduhelm was effective at treating adults with early-stage Alzheimer's disease." (Herman, 12/21)
In related news —
Modern Healthcare:
Patient Advocates Want Lower Medicare Part B Premiums After Aduhelm Price Cut
Patient advocates and Democratic lawmakers want Medicare to lower its Part B premiums for 2022 after Biogen said Monday that it will cut the price of its controversial Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm in half. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services hasn't changed premiums after the fact before as far as Juliette Cubanski, deputy director of the program on Medicare policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, knows. But that doesn't mean they can't do it, she said. "It would be an unprecedented move, but I don't think it would be an unwarranted move, given that a big part of the reason why the increase for 2022 is as large as it is is because of the price of this drug," she said. (Goldman, 12/20)
