For only the second time, Pfizer is offering a warranty for a medicine that will cover the cost for any patient or health plan if the medication fails to work, a move that expands an effort to appease concerns about high drug costs.
The newest warranty program began last month and covers Panzyga, which was approved last year in the U.S. to treat a rare neurological disorder called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, or CIPD. Patients can get repaid for four treatments — up to $16,500 each, or a maximum of $50,000 — if use is discontinued for clinical reasons. And insurers can also get reimbursed for their own outlays.
Unlike the first warranty program — which Pfizer began a year ago for its Xalkori lung cancer treatment — this newest warranty is only available to patients who are covered by commercial insurance or pay cash, not government health care programs. The Xalkori program is available to patients who are covered by commercial insurance or those who pay cash but are also covered by Medicare.
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