
This Pioneering $475,000 Cancer Drug Comes with a Money-Back Guarantee - pastalex
https://www.fastcompany.com/40461214/how-novartis-is-defending-the-record-475000-price-of-its-pioneering-gene-therapy-cancer-drug-car-t-kymriah
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Powerofmene
I find it interesting that there was no mention of insurance coverage for this
new drug or the other high priced drugs such as Harvoni. If it takes months of
arguing with the insurance companies to provide the drug what has happened to
the spread of these diseases (leukemia or hepatitis c in the case of Harvoni)
during this period?

Worse, are we developing drugs that are only available to the wealthiest
people? As a former government employee, I am always suspect of claims such
as:

>the Switzerland-based company defended the cost by announcing a relatively
new approach to pricing: If the drug doesn’t work after the first month,
patients pay nothing.

Who determines whether the drug is working? Is there a minimal level of
"working" that must be met in order to "pay nothing?" These are the questions
that will cause the insurance companies to take even longer to approve payment
of Kymriah.

Plus I loved the if it isn't working the patient doesn't pay? When the
insurance companies refuse to cover this drug, a patient will only get it by
"paying." Then it will be, good luck getting your money back if it is not
working and again, will the measuring stick for the determination of working
be always moving.

Plus, as an aside, I see Harvoni commercials quite often on TV and in
magazines. Maybe if we in the US did not allow big Pharma to advertise just
like many other countries then a single dose of Harvoni would not cost
"$87,000 and rising."

