Category Archives: Drug costs

On the Skyrocketing Costs
Of MS Drugs: A Patient Point of View

Last week, Daniel M. Hartung, PharmD, MPH, and coauthors, published an open-access article in Neurology on astronomical increases in disease-modifying drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS) –many developed decades ago. Notably, they report that first-generation drugs — now cost about $60,000 … Continue reading

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Of MS Drugs: A Patient Point of View

Delay of Generics Hurts Consumer,
Taxpayer Wallets, and Patient Health

  To insure patent extensions of high-priced, blockbuster drugs, brand-name drug companies frequently pay generic drug manufacturers to stay out of the market. It makes cheaper, more affordable generic unavailable for years. The strategy is referred to as “Pay for … Continue reading

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Taxpayer Wallets, and Patient Health

Why Sanofi’s Zaltrap Deal Won’t Help Patients

I got excited when I read the New York Times story Nov. 9 (“Sanofi Halves Price of Cancer Drug Zaltrap After Sloan-Kettering Rejection)”. Zaltrap is an intravenous infusion drug for metastatic colorectal cancer. It is used for advanced cancer that … Continue reading

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When the Pharmaceutical Benefit Manager
Won’t Let You Go On Vacation

I  leave for vacation in the morning and it was not music to my ears when I heard that the pharmaceutical benefit manager (PBM), the company that reviews your drug use for your health plan or employer, denied an early … Continue reading

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Won’t Let You Go On Vacation

5 Reasons Why I Find This Year’s Allergy Season
Especially Aggravating

1.    Allegra, the non-sedating antihistamine has gone over the counter, with nearly psychedelic purple boxes knocking me down when I go into my local drugstore. It has also skyrocketed in cost. That means people with allergies are paying far more … Continue reading

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On Disclosure, Transparency, and Firewalls: A Call for Uniform Standards

Since Patient POV was launched March 29, I have been struggling with how to deal with the issue of industry-supported patient advocacy groups. On Thursday, ProPublica released its paper: “Financial Ties Bind Medical Societies to Drug and Device Makers” with … Continue reading

Posted in American Academy of Ophthalmology, Avastin, disclosure, Drug costs, firewalls, nonprofits, Parkinson's Disease Foundation, patient advocacy groups, transparency | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

What the Macular Degeneration Drug Trial Means

Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness. The advanced form of the disease affects 1.6 million people in the United States.  That’s why results from the first year of a two-year clinical trial that tested … Continue reading

Posted in Age-related macular degeneration, Avastin, Blindness, Drug costs, Outcomes, Vision | Tagged , , | 8 Comments