Final ICER report reinforces message on SMA therapies
Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB) and Novartis (NOVN: VX) have been given a reminder of their responsibility to patients in pricing their spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) therapies in the USA.
As with the draft versions, the final report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), makes the case that Biogen’s Spinraza (nusinersen) is far too expensive and urges Novartis to set a fair price for Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec), a drug that the company acquired in its takeover of AveXis.
"The ripple effect of pricing decisions like these threatens the overall affordability and sustainability of the US health system"Spinraza was approved in 2016 for treatment of SMA in both children and adults. Zolgensma is a one-time gene therapy that has been studied in infants with Type I SMA, and a US Food and Drug Administration decision on whether to approve it is expected within months.
This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.
Login to your accountTry before you buy
Free
7 day trial access
- All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
- Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
- Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.
Become a subscriber
£820
Or £77 per month
- Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
- Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
- Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
- Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
- Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription
The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed
Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK
More on this story...
Today's issue
Company Spotlight
More Features in Biotechnology
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2024 | Headless Content Management with Blaze