The pharmaceutical industry have, in recent years, focused on development of so-called specialty drugs and have priced them aggressively. These prices, such as the US$1,000 per pill price for the hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir, are alarming for patients, employers, insurers, and governments. Read More
“With several game-changing medications in the pipeline, we need to address the underlying issue of how these prices are set from the start before they hit the market,” John Rother, leader of the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, said in a statement. Read More
Our effort—the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Prices—has been sounding the alarm for more than a year that pharmaceutical companies must come to the table with meaningful solutions to the challenge of rising drug costs. Otherwise, companies risk the rising tide of consumer anger resulting in solutions that are not constructive for anyone. Read More
This is an important time to think about the future of programs and policies that support us as we age. Medicare marks its 50th Anniversary at the end of July. I’ve been around to witness much of the creation and evolution of health policy. After a 40-year career in Aging and Health Policy, first in the Senate, then at AARP, and now as head of the National Coalition on Health Care, I have a few observations about where things stand. Read More
“Breakthrough treatments such as Praluent hold tremendous medical promise for certain patients, but its price tag makes us question how long the health system can sustain these costs for patients managing chronic conditions over several years," John Rother, president of the National Coalition on Health Care, said in a statement. Read More
As complaints grow about exorbitant drug prices, pharmaceutical companies are coming under pressure to disclose the development costs and profits of those medicines and the rationale for charging what they do. Read More
Amid the growing clamor, cancer medication has drawn particular ire. The average price of new cancer drugs in the U.S. increased five- to tenfold over 15 years, to more than $100,000 a year in 2012, according to the Mayo Clinic journal editorial. Read More
In recent years, increasingly specialized medications and an aging population that takes more drugs have substantially boosted the price of treatments for cancer, hepatitis C, cystic fibrosis and other diseases. Read More
The $1,000 pill for a liver-wasting viral infection that made headlines last year is no longer the favorite of patients and doctors. The new leading pill for hepatitis C is more expensive, and the number of patients seeking a cure has surged. Read More
Around the U.S., people with serious diseases are falling through the cracks, unable to afford the medication they need. Patients with HIV, cancer, lupus, leukemia, hepatitis C and other serious conditions are paying huge out-of-pocket sums for necessary medication. These costs are putting heavy mental and financial stress on some of America’s most vulnerable people. Read More
A new PricewaterhouseCoopers report on medical cost trends highlights how specialty drugs are outpacing traditional drugs in a major way. Read More
The rising cost of specialty drugs to treat complex, chronic or life-threatening conditions has the potential to break the pocket books of businesses, consumers, insurance companies and the state, according to Milam Ford of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. Read More