New Cholesterol Drugs Are Vastly Overpriced, Analysis Says

Two powerful new drugs that can sharply lower cholesterol are vastly overpriced based on the value they provide, according to a new analysis by an independent organization that evaluates pharmaceutical costs.

The analysis, released Tuesday, said that based on the health benefits the drugs provide, the price should be only about one-third of the level set by the manufacturers. The price should be even lower — about 15 percent of list price — to avoid untoward strains on health care budgets, it said.

The new report is from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, a nonprofit organization that made a name for itself last year when it warned about the costs of new drugs to treat hepatitis C.

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