english.prescrire.org > Annual Prescrire Awards > The Prescrire Awards for 2008 > The 2008 Prescrire Awards for Drugs, Packaging and Information > A look back at drug developments in 2008 > Drug pricing: no relation to therapeutic benefits

The Prescrire Awards for 2008

The 2008 Prescrire Awards for Drugs, Packaging and Information

A look back at drug developments in 2008
Drug pricing: no relation to therapeutic benefits

In 2008 the prices of new drugs continued to bear little relation to the therapeutic advantage provided to patients.

Ever higher prices Examples include the €2000 price granted for dexrazoxane treatment of anthracycline extravasation in France, even though this drug had no proven advantages over existing options (Prescrire International 97); and the €35 000 per month for idursulfase therapy for a child with mucopolysaccharidosis type II who weighs 30 kg, even though the benefits of this recombinant enzyme had not been demonstrated (Prescrire International 95).

The price of glitazones, recent antidiabetic drugs with unfavourable risk-benefit balances, is still far higher than that of metformin (an older standard antidiabetic drug), despite the fact that the French Transparency Committee that assesses the medical benefits of new drugs and provides recommendations concerning drug reimbursement] lowered their rating for these drugs (la revue Prescrire 301 p. 818).

©Prescrire April 2009

Source: Prescrire Int 2009; 18 (100): 84-88.