No correlation between the prices of oncology orphan drugs in the US and their patient population sizes

Publication date: Available online 21 September 2017 Source:Journal of Cancer Policy Author(s): Szymon Jarosławski, Pascal Auquier, Mondher Toumi Background We sought to assess if orphan oncology drugs that target smaller populations are costlier than those that target larger ones. Methods A list of orphan drugs designated by the FDA and diseases prevalence was retrieved from the FDA. Average Wholesale Prices per unit were obtained from the Red book database. Finding Between June 2011 and June 2016, the FDA approved 31 unique regimens. Their annual treatment costs ranged from $9,474 to $230,400, with a median of $140,893. Interpretation There was no linear or exponential relationship between drug price and the size of their patient population. Further research is needed to bring more transparency of drug pricing in the US and align the prices of orphan drugs with the target population size and other relevant factors.
Source: Journal of Cancer Policy - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research