Can We Afford to Be Cured? A Conversation With ICER’s Steve Pearson
Summary
But the potential cures could also cost millions of dollars, like Novartis (NYSE: NVS ), the owner of the gene therapy Zolgensma, has suggested in advance of an imminent FDA approval decision. As public backlash against high drug prices shows no signs of waning, a private nonprofit in Boston, the Institute for Clinical Economic Review (ICER), has emerged as the country’s top drug-pricing watchdog. Drug makers often justify high prices for such therapies because of the promise of long-term benefits, but so early into the era, there’s yet scant evidence that these cutting-edge medicines will stave off cancer or a rare genetic disease for a patient’s lifetime. Xconomy recently caught up with ICER president and founder Steven Pearson to talk about both the hope and caution around cell and gene therapies, how the healthcare system might pay for them, and more. But we have to come up with a decision-making process for when to stretch out payments, how to link to patient outcomes, and how much future uncertainty should be built into the price at the front end.
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