In The Debate About Cost And Efficacy, PCSK9 Inhibitors May Be The Biggest Challenge Yet

The American health care system is far and away the most costly in the world. Health care reform is intended to lower costs, but they are still rising, albeit less steeply than in the past. Moderation is not however the case in the area of specialty pharmacy. The medications to treat Hepatitis C are the most cited examples of a general inflationary trend, but the pipeline of expensive medications is extensive. Yet, policymakers and payers appear unwilling to undertake significant cost controls on medication pricing. Indeed the controversy over the $84,000 price tag for Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) has largely faded, suggesting a certain resiliency in our system’s ability to absorb costs. We believe that resiliency is about to be challenged in a manner unlike we have seen in the past, at least in the area of pharmaceuticals. A number of pharmaceutical manufacturers are developing a new class of medication to manage high cholesterol — the PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9) enzyme inhibitors. PCSK9 Inhibitors The medication is injected, generally once or twice a month, and evidence from randomized controlled trials suggests that they are well-tolerated and highly effective in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). While prospective outcomes studies are not yet available to assess their efficacy in reducing adverse cardiovascular events, the scientific community is preparing for likely approval of these medications to manage familial hypercholestero...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: All Categories Consumers Cost Health Care Costs Health Care Delivery Pharma Spending Source Type: blogs