4 ms·

It appears Martin Shkreli has tried this a couple times before. http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2015/02/20/more_price_hikes_on_obscure_medication

by jkimmel 11y ago

It appears Martin Shkreli has tried this a couple times before. http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2015/02/20/more_price_hikes_on_obscure_medication http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2015/02/20/mor... In the past, he actually planned to limit access to the existing drug (ie. the one he increased the price on) to prevent a competitor from creating a new generic formulation and gaining FDA approval. It appears he modeled this heinous approach on a maneuver by Celgene to prevent production of generic thalidomide. http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2014/09/11/the_most_unconscionable_drug_price_hike_i_have_yet_seen http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2014/09/11/the... It seems to me that the FDA needs sharper teeth in this arena to ensure access to an existing drug is not a limiting factor in the approval of generics.

DanBC 11y ago
Celgene are currently engaged in shenanigans in the UK. There are currently two main chemotherapies used for pancreatic cancer in England. First line is folfirinox. But that can have nasty side effects, so the less effective gemcitabine is used because it has less side effects. Celgene make abraxane. Abraxane (by Celgene's own data) isn't as good as current first treatment; and has many side effects so can't be used as second line treatment. Celgene's data shows median life extension on abraxane as two months. A charity - pancreaticcanceraction.org - has started a petition to get NICE to change the decision. The petition states abraxane gives two years extra life which is true for a few people. Equally true would be "abraxane gives two days extra life". The shenanigans come from the amount of funding and campaigning material Celgene has provided to pancreaticcanceraction.org, while making it seem like they don't have any connection. https://www.nice.org.uk/news/press-and-media/the-cost-of-nab-paclitaxel-is-not-justified-by-its-limited-benefit-says-nice-in-draft-guidance-2 https://www.nice.org.uk/news/press-and-media/the-cost-of-nab... https://pancreaticcanceraction.org/news/english-patients-nice-decides-fund-abraxane/ https://pancreaticcanceraction.org/news/english-patients-nic...

by jkimmel 11y ago

DanBC 11y ago

Celgene are currently engaged in shenanigans in the UK. There are currently two main chemotherapies used for pancreatic cancer in England. First line is folfirinox. But that can have nasty side effects, so the less effective gemcitabine is used because it has less side effects. Celgene make abraxane. Abraxane (by Celgene's own data) isn't as good as current first treatment; and has many side effects so can't be used as second line treatment. Celgene's data shows median life extension on abraxane as two months. A charity - pancreaticcanceraction.org - has started a petition to get NICE to change the decision. The petition states abraxane gives two years extra life which is true for a few people. Equally true would be "abraxane gives two days extra life". The shenanigans come from the amount of funding and campaigning material Celgene has provided to pancreaticcanceraction.org, while making it seem like they don't have any connection. https://www.nice.org.uk/news/press-and-media/the-cost-of-nab-paclitaxel-is-not-justified-by-its-limited-benefit-says-nice-in-draft-guidance-2 https://www.nice.org.uk/news/press-and-media/the-cost-of-nab... https://pancreaticcanceraction.org/news/english-patients-nice-decides-fund-abraxane/ https://pancreaticcanceraction.org/news/english-patients-nic...