It’s no secret that there’s big money to be had in drugs. The cost of many pharmaceuticals has increased dramatically. But the real money makers for the drug industry aren’t necessarily the commonplace prescriptions for antibiotics of painkillers that most of us know by name; it’s the drugs that are used by very few people, who often need them to survive. [More]
orphan drugs
Decades-Old Drug Approved By FDA, Gets 7,300% Price Hike
By 2.14.17
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced that a drug previously not officially available to patients in the United States had been approved. Deflazacort, a corticosteroid, has been shown to be useful and life-prolonging for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare and fatal disease. Its U.S. launch has been delayed, however, after lawmakers questioned the dramatic price hike that came with its debut here. [More]
Here’s How AstraZeneca Is Trying To Block Generic Crestor For 7 More Years
By 7.8.16
How long should a drug company be allowed to be the exclusive manufacturer and seller of their product? Crestor, a best-selling statin (cholesterol-lowering drug) that has enjoyed exclusivity for the last 12 years, is due to lose that protection today. AstraZeneca, the maker of Crestor, is fighting that decision, hoping to squeeze a little more time as the drug’s exclusive manufacturer before generics hit the market. [More]
