Good morning. Elizabeth Cooney here, filling in for Ed Silverman this week as he makes those daydreams of vacation plans come true. Here’s what we’re watching today from Boston HQ:
Guardant Health has published results saying its blood test could replace biopsy for rare cancer treated by Keytruda, STAT reports. Currently, identifying such cancers, called MSI-High, for “microsatellite instable-high,” requires examining a tumor that had been surgically removed. Merck’s (MRK) Keytruda is approved to treat tumors that appear anywhere in the body, but are marked with a specific genetic signature.
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Elizabeth, thank you for filling in for Ed Silverman, and with a BIG “Little.”
I was struck by the fact that you included a fact many omit in your Immuneel item. It was – “That cost, which includes hospital and medical expenses, ” – which costs are also included in the … “very high” prices quoted for the “list price” on those therapies in the US.
The pricing is an “all in” that includes much more than just ‘the drug,’ but always seems to get passed over in the discussion / screed about pricing. These are not just a pill and need to be supplied in a large and ostly ecosystem. Factors that get scant attention.