A $2.1 Million Drug Price Record Is Made to Be Broken
The sky-high cost of a new gene therapy isn’t the problem. It’s the dozens of drugs that will use it as a benchmark.
Just the beginning.
Photographer: Stefan Wermuth/BloombergThe record $2.1 million price tag for Novartis AG’s gene therapy Zolgensma – a one-time treatment for a deadly childhood disease that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday – evokes two very different responses. Critics see out-of-control pricing behavior. Supporters say the sticker-shocked are ignoring the creation of a possible cure for a disease that kills children before their second birthday.
They’re both valid reactions. But we’re heading toward a point where spiraling prices on gene therapies threatens to hamper access or effectively ration usage by income or coverage quality. The problem isn’t just Zolgensma. It’s the dozens of other incoming gene therapies that will use this price as a reference point. Miracle cures don’t do much good if they aren’t accessible.