In The end, Rare Drug Pricing Will Hurt Pharma Just As Much As Patients

There ’s been an odd-sounding word circulating in the English headlines recently.The word is Orkambi; a drug created by Vertex that treats approximately 40% of people born with the genetic condition, cystic fibrosis. It is the second drug to market in a promising pipeline that targets the CFTR mutation.   True gene therapy it isn’t, but it represents a near-first for a biotech firm, by successfully altering the shape and function of a protein[1]. And priced at £105,000 per patient per year, it is the latest in a long line of medicines the NHS can’t afford.Orkambi has been licensed by the EMAsince 2015. It ’s available to patients in the US and 11 other EU countries. In Britain, it is available on compassionate use only.The latest spate of headlines came on Thursday, as even investors became uneasy over reputational damage, after seven executives awarded themselves paypackets big enough to coverone year ’s treatment for 369 eligible patients.I have cystic fibrosis, and I ’m tired.Not on this occasion, because of my condition. I ’m tired of the combative exchanges between campaigners, NHS England, Vertex and the CF Trust, that have still not led to access. I ’m tired of reading that Vertex’s stock has‘tripled since 2015’, and that every second headline is not about lives to be saved, but a hot investor tip. I ’m tired of the paradox thrown up repeatedly, that tomorrow’s R&D demands today ’s executive remuneration. With automationspeeding up hig...
Source: EyeForPharma - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: news