Targeted therapy drugs could radically increase the costs of treatment

[AussieNeil]

"The rising cost of cancer care is a serious concern," says Jagpreet Chhatwal, PhD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital based Institute for Technology Assessment, corresponding author of the paper that has been published online. "The average cost of annual cancer treatment, which was below $10,000 per patient before 2000 has now increased to more than $100,000. Such increasing trends can limit access to new therapies, potentially undermining their clinical effectiveness. These new drugs are highly effective, but their high costs motivated us to project their changing economic burden and affordability."

Full article: eurekalert.org/pub_releases...

Neil

[Leshere]

Yes cost is a problem, however if big pahram companies find the can not sell at a high price they will no doubt settle for a lower price rather than nothing. Just hope we all stay alive and well while they have an argument about it.

L

[UK-Sparky in reply to Leshere]

Well said Les, maybe they need to rethink model, spread research costs over longer period, scale guarantee economies, part direct funding ny patients under tax free deal of some kind,

[db601]

Thank you, Neil.

With all the new treatments being discussed at seminars like the LLS last week - cost and stress to the patient is the proverbial elephant in the room.

I forwarded the link to my physicians at Penn.

Thank you for your diligence in addressing the heart of the matter.

Diana

[virdieblue]

I guess I'm a pessimist. Unless the companies are forced to lower prices ( I don't know how) why would they? It's not like we can boycott them.

Virginia