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New Hepatitis C Drug Has Steep Price Tag
Because it will more than double the current cost of treatment, the Fair Pricing Coalition is furious about the price affixed to Incivek™, the newest approved Hepatitis C medication.
Fair Pricing Coalition Says Vertex's Incivek Price 'Outrageous'
May 25, 2011
The Fair Pricing Coalition is again sounding the alarm regarding the price of newly approved treatments for hepatitis C, this time questioning the cost of Vertex's protease inhibitor Incivek (telaprevir). The advocacy group is concerned that Incivek's price tag of $49,200 per 12-week course will adversely affect the ability of people with HCV to access the drug, while also setting an excessively unreasonable future price point for the many hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs in the pipeline.
"Merck's Victrelis costs $48,400 for 48 weeks of treatment," said FPC member Lynda Dee in a statement from the organization. "Now Vertex has set a price approximately four times greater than Victrelis for 12 weeks of Incivek treatment. While we welcome a shorter course of Incivek treatment, both price points are outrageous. What is worse, you can bet that no future HCV drugs will be priced less than Victrelis and Incivek. What a terrible way to begin!"
Continue reading this entire article:
http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/incivek_price_advocacy_1667_20508.sh
Fair Pricing Coalition Says Vertex's Incivek Price 'Outrageous'
May 25, 2011
The Fair Pricing Coalition is again sounding the alarm regarding the price of newly approved treatments for hepatitis C, this time questioning the cost of Vertex's protease inhibitor Incivek (telaprevir). The advocacy group is concerned that Incivek's price tag of $49,200 per 12-week course will adversely affect the ability of people with HCV to access the drug, while also setting an excessively unreasonable future price point for the many hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs in the pipeline.
"Merck's Victrelis costs $48,400 for 48 weeks of treatment," said FPC member Lynda Dee in a statement from the organization. "Now Vertex has set a price approximately four times greater than Victrelis for 12 weeks of Incivek treatment. While we welcome a shorter course of Incivek treatment, both price points are outrageous. What is worse, you can bet that no future HCV drugs will be priced less than Victrelis and Incivek. What a terrible way to begin!"
Continue reading this entire article:
http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/incivek_price_advocacy_1667_20508.sh
i know nothing about US health system, or how good or bad it is...
i live in canada, and the numbers are for US and Canada. it looks like Canada is much more efficient
but, from my point of view as a hep c patient:
1. i was waiting for my first GI appt for 8 months ( it looks like in US it happens much faster). the GI receptionist told me in march 2011 that she books appt for march 2012 for new patients...
2. IL28B still not available here, have to travel to US if decide to get it done
3. new meds are still 6 month to 1 year away. nobody really knows how they will be covered...
ps
i'm not trying to compare US and canada system, just a couple of thing from a point of view of a hep c patient
i live in canada, and the numbers are for US and Canada. it looks like Canada is much more efficient
but, from my point of view as a hep c patient:
1. i was waiting for my first GI appt for 8 months ( it looks like in US it happens much faster). the GI receptionist told me in march 2011 that she books appt for march 2012 for new patients...
2. IL28B still not available here, have to travel to US if decide to get it done
3. new meds are still 6 month to 1 year away. nobody really knows how they will be covered...
ps
i'm not trying to compare US and canada system, just a couple of thing from a point of view of a hep c patient
I couldn't quite believe the article but after doing some digging it appears that yes..... Victrelis could be dosed up to 44 weeks?!!?
That is the thing that amazes me as much as the price difference between the 2 products.
http://www.merck.com/newsroom/news-release-archive/prescription-medicine-news/2011_0513.html
"Treatment-failure patients: Patients (previous partial responders or relapsers) who are undetectable at treatment weeks 8 and 24 complete all therapy at treatment week 36. Patients who are detectable at treatment week 8, but undetectable at treatment week 24, complete VICTRELIS at treatment week 36 and continue on peginterferon alfa and ribavirin alone until treatment week 48. Response-guided therapy was not studied in treatment-failure patients who had less than a 2 log decrease in virus (HCV-RNA) at treatment week 12 of prior treatment (null responders). If treated, these patients should receive 4 weeks of peginterferon alfa and ribavirin followed by 44 weeks of VICTRELIS in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin.
==============================
"44 weeks of Victrelis"?!!
I don't believe that under any circumstances Telaprevir (incivek) is to be used for any more than 12 weeks, in ANY response.
http://pi.vrtx.com/files/uspi_telaprevir.pdf
(see page 2)
Telaprevir when used in monotherapy saw resistant virii pop up in the first and second week. It blows my mind that a very similar PI (victrelis) could be dosed for up to 44 weeks.
http://www.natap.org/2006/EASL/EASL_12.htm
"VX-950 alone group
- about 3-log initial reduction in median HCV RNA
- 4.0-log reduction in median HCV RNA by Day 14
- Rebound or plateau in 4/8 patients----------------------<<<<<(what I'm talking about-W)
- Results consistent with prior VX04-950-101 study"
==================================
Anyway....amazed that they would treat w/ a PI for that long. I wonder if it is worthwhile or advisable.
The 2 compounds offer a similar enough response profile that it appears that compared to Telaprevir (incivek) the boceprevir (Victrelis) is being *priced to move*..... lol; relatively speaking....
People have been waiting and waiting for the approval of the drugs; dying for them to be approved. Unfortunately, some may be waiting and dying for the prices to come down. : (
All that I can say is that don't be deterred; look into the costs and look into the assistance programs. It is also predicted that the prices could come down as the other drugs are approved and as even better treatments come into development.
willy
That is the thing that amazes me as much as the price difference between the 2 products.
http://www.merck.com/newsroom/news-release-archive/prescription-medicine-news/2011_0513.html
"Treatment-failure patients: Patients (previous partial responders or relapsers) who are undetectable at treatment weeks 8 and 24 complete all therapy at treatment week 36. Patients who are detectable at treatment week 8, but undetectable at treatment week 24, complete VICTRELIS at treatment week 36 and continue on peginterferon alfa and ribavirin alone until treatment week 48. Response-guided therapy was not studied in treatment-failure patients who had less than a 2 log decrease in virus (HCV-RNA) at treatment week 12 of prior treatment (null responders). If treated, these patients should receive 4 weeks of peginterferon alfa and ribavirin followed by 44 weeks of VICTRELIS in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin.
==============================
"44 weeks of Victrelis"?!!
I don't believe that under any circumstances Telaprevir (incivek) is to be used for any more than 12 weeks, in ANY response.
http://pi.vrtx.com/files/uspi_telaprevir.pdf
(see page 2)
Telaprevir when used in monotherapy saw resistant virii pop up in the first and second week. It blows my mind that a very similar PI (victrelis) could be dosed for up to 44 weeks.
http://www.natap.org/2006/EASL/EASL_12.htm
"VX-950 alone group
- about 3-log initial reduction in median HCV RNA
- 4.0-log reduction in median HCV RNA by Day 14
- Rebound or plateau in 4/8 patients----------------------<<<<<(what I'm talking about-W)
- Results consistent with prior VX04-950-101 study"
==================================
Anyway....amazed that they would treat w/ a PI for that long. I wonder if it is worthwhile or advisable.
The 2 compounds offer a similar enough response profile that it appears that compared to Telaprevir (incivek) the boceprevir (Victrelis) is being *priced to move*..... lol; relatively speaking....
People have been waiting and waiting for the approval of the drugs; dying for them to be approved. Unfortunately, some may be waiting and dying for the prices to come down. : (
All that I can say is that don't be deterred; look into the costs and look into the assistance programs. It is also predicted that the prices could come down as the other drugs are approved and as even better treatments come into development.
willy
For anyone who uses the U.S. health care system regularly I think intuitively knows about the high cost of overhead...
Insurance Overhead
Medicare, the publicly managed plan for the elderly in the United States, spends 5 percent of each health care dollar on administrative expenses, compared with the 17 percent by private insurers on average. This is because private companies spend more on marketing, often pay exorbitant salaries to executives, and take a cut of each health care dollar for profits and company reserves.
Countries with a public insurance plan for the population immediately save over 10 percent on every health care dollar by cutting out private insurance overhead.
Health Insurance Overhead Insurance per person
U.S. $412
Canada $77
Australia $106
Netherlands $119
Germany $167
Switzerland $181
Hospital and Physician Overhead
Hospitals and physicians by virtue of having to deal with dozens of private insurance companies, as well as many individuals who have to be billed directly for care uncovered by insurance, incur enormous overhead expenses. The result is a large billing department at every hospital and, far more importantly, an enormous percentage of every physician, nurse, and technician’s time lost to paperwork.
The waste incurred by a commercial insurance system even at the level of health providers is vividly portrayed by a comparison of overhead expenses for hospitals and physicians in the United States versus Canada. Remember, Canada does not have “socialized medicine” - hospitals and physicians are privately owned and run - these costs are incurred solely by the insurance system.
Hospital billing and administration per person
U.S. $487
Canada $85
Physician billing and administration per person
U.S. $561
Canada $144
The Bureaucracy is Growing Faster Than Direct Care
The net result of commercial health insurance in the United States has been an explosion of bureaucracy at all levels of the health care system. This is clear from a comparison of the growth in health care administrators over time relative to the growth in physicians.
The number of Health care administrator has grown 2,500% since 1970
Cheers!
Hector
Insurance Overhead
Medicare, the publicly managed plan for the elderly in the United States, spends 5 percent of each health care dollar on administrative expenses, compared with the 17 percent by private insurers on average. This is because private companies spend more on marketing, often pay exorbitant salaries to executives, and take a cut of each health care dollar for profits and company reserves.
Countries with a public insurance plan for the population immediately save over 10 percent on every health care dollar by cutting out private insurance overhead.
Health Insurance Overhead Insurance per person
U.S. $412
Canada $77
Australia $106
Netherlands $119
Germany $167
Switzerland $181
Hospital and Physician Overhead
Hospitals and physicians by virtue of having to deal with dozens of private insurance companies, as well as many individuals who have to be billed directly for care uncovered by insurance, incur enormous overhead expenses. The result is a large billing department at every hospital and, far more importantly, an enormous percentage of every physician, nurse, and technician’s time lost to paperwork.
The waste incurred by a commercial insurance system even at the level of health providers is vividly portrayed by a comparison of overhead expenses for hospitals and physicians in the United States versus Canada. Remember, Canada does not have “socialized medicine” - hospitals and physicians are privately owned and run - these costs are incurred solely by the insurance system.
Hospital billing and administration per person
U.S. $487
Canada $85
Physician billing and administration per person
U.S. $561
Canada $144
The Bureaucracy is Growing Faster Than Direct Care
The net result of commercial health insurance in the United States has been an explosion of bureaucracy at all levels of the health care system. This is clear from a comparison of the growth in health care administrators over time relative to the growth in physicians.
The number of Health care administrator has grown 2,500% since 1970
Cheers!
Hector
Here are some of the benefits gained through passage of "The Affordable Care Act" that may affect person with hepatitis C.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For persons who are disabled by hepatitis C or advanced liver disease and receiving healthcare through Medicare....
"The Affordable Care Act includes benefits to make your Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) more affordable. It does this by gradually closing the coverage gap (also called the “Donut Hole”).
It requires the Secretary to negotiate drug prices directly with pharmaceutical manufacturers for Medicare Part D plans. (Effective upon enactment; applies to drug prices beginning on January 1, 2011)
What This Means for You
Starting January 1, 2011, if you reach the coverage gap in your Medicare Part D coverage, you will automatically get a 50% discount on covered brand-name drugs. You receive the discount when you buy them at a pharmacy or order them through the mail, until you reach the catastrophic coverage phase.
You will also get a 7% discount on generic drugs while in the Donut Hole.
You can expect additional savings on your covered brand-name and generic drugs while in the coverage gap until the gap is closed in 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For everyone including those with private or company health insurance.
The Affordable Care Act...
"Enhances competition in the pharmaceutical market by stopping agreements between brand name and generic drug manufacturers that limit, delay, or otherwise prevent competition from generic drugs. (Effective upon enactment)"
Requires disclosure of financial relationships between health entities, including physicians, hospitals, pharmacists, and other providers, and manufacturers and distributors of covered drugs, devices, biologicals, and medical supplies. (Effective March 2011)
Reviewing Insurers’ Premium Increases. HHS recently offered States $51 million in grant funding to strengthen review of insurance premiums. Annual premium hikes can put insurance out of reach of many working families and small employers. These grants are a down-payment that enable States to act now on reviewing, disclosing, and preventing unreasonable rate hikes. Already, a number of States, including California, New York, Maine, Pennsylvania and others are moving forward to improve their oversight and require more transparency of insurance companies’ requests to raise rates.
Starting in 2014, many low-income, uninsured people will be able to get health care and treatment through an expanded Medicaid program and those with higher incomes now have access to private insurance because the ACA eliminated the ‘pre-existing conditions’ clauses enabling everyone to access health insurance regardless of their health status. The benefits of the ACA are only just beginning but will increase over the next few years, helping more people with hepatitis B and C to get the care and treatments they need.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also, U.S. patients pay the highest prices in the world for meds. Most first world countries have price controls on the cost of meds as well as affordable healthcare for all their citizens.
Cheers!
Hector
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For persons who are disabled by hepatitis C or advanced liver disease and receiving healthcare through Medicare....
"The Affordable Care Act includes benefits to make your Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) more affordable. It does this by gradually closing the coverage gap (also called the “Donut Hole”).
It requires the Secretary to negotiate drug prices directly with pharmaceutical manufacturers for Medicare Part D plans. (Effective upon enactment; applies to drug prices beginning on January 1, 2011)
What This Means for You
Starting January 1, 2011, if you reach the coverage gap in your Medicare Part D coverage, you will automatically get a 50% discount on covered brand-name drugs. You receive the discount when you buy them at a pharmacy or order them through the mail, until you reach the catastrophic coverage phase.
You will also get a 7% discount on generic drugs while in the Donut Hole.
You can expect additional savings on your covered brand-name and generic drugs while in the coverage gap until the gap is closed in 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For everyone including those with private or company health insurance.
The Affordable Care Act...
"Enhances competition in the pharmaceutical market by stopping agreements between brand name and generic drug manufacturers that limit, delay, or otherwise prevent competition from generic drugs. (Effective upon enactment)"
Requires disclosure of financial relationships between health entities, including physicians, hospitals, pharmacists, and other providers, and manufacturers and distributors of covered drugs, devices, biologicals, and medical supplies. (Effective March 2011)
Reviewing Insurers’ Premium Increases. HHS recently offered States $51 million in grant funding to strengthen review of insurance premiums. Annual premium hikes can put insurance out of reach of many working families and small employers. These grants are a down-payment that enable States to act now on reviewing, disclosing, and preventing unreasonable rate hikes. Already, a number of States, including California, New York, Maine, Pennsylvania and others are moving forward to improve their oversight and require more transparency of insurance companies’ requests to raise rates.
Starting in 2014, many low-income, uninsured people will be able to get health care and treatment through an expanded Medicaid program and those with higher incomes now have access to private insurance because the ACA eliminated the ‘pre-existing conditions’ clauses enabling everyone to access health insurance regardless of their health status. The benefits of the ACA are only just beginning but will increase over the next few years, helping more people with hepatitis B and C to get the care and treatments they need.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also, U.S. patients pay the highest prices in the world for meds. Most first world countries have price controls on the cost of meds as well as affordable healthcare for all their citizens.
Cheers!
Hector
You're right. The scientists work for small companies like Vertex. Over the past several years Vertex has ben bleeding money with the development of several drugs. Making money - not even close. things became so dire that they had to sell distribution rights to Teleprivir just to continue development and raise money for the costs associaed with testing.
"This does not have to be from some humongous corporation which is sucking us all dry." Re-think that sentence unless you mean USA Inc.
"This does not have to be from some humongous corporation which is sucking us all dry." Re-think that sentence unless you mean USA Inc.
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