But for patients, doctors, Medicare and other insurers, the drug's arrival will pose a conundrum. That is because the medicine, Lucentis, is expected to be 10 to 100 times as expensive as a similar drug that many ophthalmologists say is every bit as good.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Questions Over New Eyesight Drug That May Be as Good as Older, Cheaper One
A drug that can restore eyesight to some elderly people, even allowing them to read or drive again, is expected to win federal approval this week.
But for patients, doctors, Medicare and other insurers, the drug's arrival will pose a conundrum. That is because the medicine, Lucentis, is expected to be 10 to 100 times as expensive as a similar drug that many ophthalmologists say is every bit as good.
But for patients, doctors, Medicare and other insurers, the drug's arrival will pose a conundrum. That is because the medicine, Lucentis, is expected to be 10 to 100 times as expensive as a similar drug that many ophthalmologists say is every bit as good.
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1 comment:
This is a poker problem. It all has to do with expected value.
Assume for calcualtions that the price of a dose of Lucentis is $2000 (pL=2000) and Avastin is $50 (pA=50) We then have to come up with some fudge factor for how efficacious each drug is. Without even going through the exercise, it is clear at first glance that pL=40*pA.
Is Lucentis 40 times "better" than Avastin?
If any Retina docs read this blog, I challenge you to not use Lucentis as long as Avastin is available.
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