Kymriah cost dispute goes to heart of pharma's pricing row

A peer-reviewed journal of health policy thought and research has published an article claiming that the US price tag of the pioneering CAR-T therapy Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) is overpriced by 197%.

Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) has slipped a price tag of $475,000 on the one-time infusion of Kymriah in the USA, which has so been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of pediatric and young adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

In the next few years, Kymriah is expected to receive marketing approval in other countries and for other indications, including adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and small lymphocytic lymphoma.