WASHINGTON — It has all the makings of a bombastic drug pricing debate: a highly anticipated drug, widespread press attention, a huge potential patient population, and a price higher than even some of the highest Wall Street estimates.
But when Biogen announced Monday it would charge $56,000 for an annual course of its just-approved Alzheimer’s treatment, the activists who are normally eager to criticize pharma and its pricing strategies were largely silent. So, too, were progressives on Capitol Hill, many of whom have decried high drug prices as a key campaign issue.
Experts who spoke with STAT say that’s not a coincidence. By and large, they weren’t sure that Aduhelm, despite its potential to wreak financial havoc on the U.S. health care system — and on Medicare in particular — would be able to reignite the drug pricing debate, which has largely stalled since President Trump failed to enact significant drug pricing reforms in 2019 and 2020.
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If it’s as useful as Aricept, the Country has been sold a real lemon. For now, what is needed in Dementia is a nutricuetical type placebo with questionable to no efficacy. Think B12. At least that wouldn’t break the bank.