Novartis study tries to temper regulatory onslaught in Europe

As European countries line up with ever-stricter rules designed to reduce the price they pay for pharmaceuticals, Novartis has commissioned a new report from a group of tech experts that draws a straight line between the strictness of the new regs and a reduction in R&D innovation. In clear and measured language, the European School of Management and Technology Competition Analysis note that a strict regulatory environment inevitably shifts the attention of drug developers to new therapies...

Dendreon: Provenge to cost $93K for full course of treatment

One of the most pressing questions analysts and patients have had about Provenge is how much Dendreon would charge for its newly approved prostate cancer drug. Following this afternoon's conference call, we now have an answer. Each infusion of Provenge will cost $31,000, bringing the full cost of treatment for three infusions to $93,000. As the company put it, the drug will cost about $23,000 per month of life extension, based on the Phase III study that found the drug extended...

How much is too much to pay for Provenge?

With Dendreon's hotly anticipated prostate cancer drug Provenge on the doorstep of FDA approval, the company now must answer a tough question: How much can they charge for a drug that extends survival just a few months? In a study of 512 men, results showed that subjects taking the drug survived a median time of four months longer than those not receiving the therapy. Dendreon has been gearing up for production of the drug--the FDA will make a decision by May 1--and analysts have been...