What Happens When Governments Say MS Drugs Are Too Pricey?

I’m stuck on this one. In recent days, the UK’s National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has decided not to widen use of beta-interferon for MS, and the Irish  National Centre for Pharmaeconomics (NCPE) has refused to pay for the oral MS drug Tecfidera. Interesting as well (and I’m not sure exactly how to think of this either) is that the US Supreme Court just made an MS drug ruling too, on Copaxone.  This one seems to go the opposite way from the two European decisions. My first thought is that every person living with multiple sclerosis must be given access to the drugs they and their medical team think are right for them. But I’m also cheering in hopes that the Irish and UK rulings may be a tide-changer when it comes to the price of MS treatments. Economics 101 teaches us the basic law of supply and demand.  Could it be that as more treatments enter the MS market, payers are now saying the prices are just too high for some?  Will this be a tipping point that will cause the drug companies to back down on their prices?  Or will people living with MS in Ireland and the UK simply be left without these two drugs in their toolbox? Is this a case of government stepping between doctors and patients, an example of bean-counters making medical decisions? Or is it rather an instance of taxpayers standing up to big pharma and saying “no more”? Whether this fiscal line in the sand will mean lower prices or fewer drug choices for people with MS is yet to be ...
Source: Life with MS - Category: Other Conditions Authors: Tags: multiple sclerosis MS Around the Globe MS in the news MS Money Matters MS treatment Source Type: blogs