ICYMI: Should the Specialty Drug Cost Debate Take a Breath? Data Proves Otherwise.

ICYMI: Should the Specialty Drug Cost Debate Take a Breath? Data Proves Otherwise.

May 7, 2015

ICYMI: May 7, 2015

PharmaExec.com: “Take a Breath” on the Specialty Drug Pricing Issue…?

“…for anyone who thinks the players involved in this specialty drug pricing confrontation will actually “take a breath” and voluntarily work towards better access and lower prices, I am sorry. You’re not being realistic.

Here’s the truth: As long as we have a free enterprise medical system that encourages all healthcare entities to price at “what the market will bear”, there will be no “taking of a breath” on the specialty drug pricing issue.

Instead, the vibrant ‘war of words’ on specialty drug pricing will go on, and patients will continue to have a hard time affording these important, new products.”

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Forbes: The Cancer Drug Market Just Hit $100 Billion And Could Jump 50% In Four Years

“The global market for cancer drugs has hit $100 billion in annual sales, and could reach $147 billion by 2018, according to a new report by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, a unit of drug data provider IMS Health.”

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FiercePharma.com” Pharma hikes prices on all sorts of meds, but hit diabetes hardest: Bloomberg

“Here are more stats for the price-increase tally: Twenty-seven drug brands took 20% price increases last year, and dozens saw prices at least double over the past 5 years, Bloomberg reports. Once again, the usual suspects top the price-increase lists. And diabetes products are conspicuously present.

With a 351% increase, Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ ($JAZZ) narcolepsy drug Xyrem came in first place for 5-year hikes. Welchol, the Daiichi Sankyo cholesterol med, topped the list of last year’s hikes with a 40.3% increase. Mylan’s ($MYL) EpiPen came in close behind with a 32% increase.”