New blood cancer drug to cost $30,000 a month

December 7, 2009

December 5, 8:17 AM

While the Senate debates health care reform, drug prices have been on the rise,

especially newly approved medications.

A fast-track approval by the FDA for a drug to fight an aggressive form of blood

cancer, peripheral T-cell Lymphoma, is likely to cost $30,000 a month for

treatments, according to a report in the New York Times Health Section.

The new drug, Folotyn, is manufactured by Allos Therapeutics Inc., and is the

first drug approved for this particular type of cancer. The company does not

believe the price of the new drug is too high when compared to other drugs

manufactured to fight rare forms of cancer.

In general, reports show drug makers have been raising prices sharply due to the

health care reform debates. However, Folotyn seems to be in line with drugs like

Compath (sic), a drug used to fight chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which costs

around $5,000 a week for several weeks. Another drug, recently approved by the

FDA, Arzerra is said to cost about $98,000 for a six-month treatment cycle.

In the New York Times article Dr. Lee N Newcomer, Senior Vice President of

Oncology with UnitedHealthCare said the price of the drug was " unconscionable. "

Dr. Brad S Kahl, a lymphoma specialist with the University of Wisconsin said the

price of Folotyn would dampen the enthusiasm for its use and the benefits for

prolonging life are " modest. "

A Med News Today web site states that clinical trials show 27 percent of

patients that used Folotyn responded favorably.

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