The Million-Dollar Cancer Treatment: Who Will Pay?

[CocoLoco]

WSJ: The Million-Dollar Cancer Treatment: Who Will Pay?

I posted about these treatments a few years ago when they were in their clinical phases. Now they are finally getting FDA approval and hitting the mainstream. The WSJ is suggesting that the treatments are going to cause a balloon in healthcare costs. I'd like to suggest otherwise. Much of the post procedure cost will be reduced as the understanding and application of the treatments expand. As more knowledge is gained about the treatments further refinements will be made to bring costs down. Also, many of the steps in the process are the same so economies of scale will be available. Finally, the treatments have proven to eradicate all signs of the targeted cancer. If this continue to hold true then the treatment is a one-time thing rather than a series of surgery, chemo, and other treatments such as radiation. It's one and done. The article didn't do any comparison of cost with current treatments and outcomes.

What says the BRAFs?

 

[Climber]

Never underestimate the greed of Big Pharma.

 

[Eldritch]

Never underestimate the greed of Big Pharma.

The last thing I did before becoming a full time charity worker was work as a financial consultant for this industry. Never underestimate it.

 

[Entoptic]

In theory it should reduce the cost over time. No more extra visits/surgery/kemo treatments. I'm hoping this is main stream stuff that everyone can get their hands on.

 

[CocoLoco]

Never underestimate the greed of Big Pharma.

Never underestimate the bourgeois fear of the mob with pitchforks and torches.

 

[CoorsLight]

Never underestimate the greed of Big Pharma.

Not disagreeing with you; it's the same as any other publicly held sociopath corporation. But also don't underestimate the costs of R&D and technical development needed to clear regulatory requirements. This is a young technology. Costs will come down with more R&D and as more competitors enter the market.

 

[Johndicezx9]

The "Airborne" couple are ready....

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loc...are-Medicine-To-Save-Sons-Life-441707613.html

 

[Climber]

Not disagreeing with you; it's the same as any other publicly held sociopath corporation. But also don't underestimate the costs of R&D and technical development needed to clear regulatory requirements. This is a young technology. Costs will come down with more R&D and as more competitors enter the market.

Not if one company holds the patent on the process and they are allowed to file and get approved a broad patent that effectively blocks other companies from doing it.

It still boggles my mind that they're selling viagra for $46/pill when you buy 10 ($460) at costco! :wtf

 

[CoorsLight]

Not if one company holds the patent on the process and they are allowed to file and get approved a broad patent that effectively blocks other companies from doing it.

It still boggles my mind that they're selling viagra for $46/pill when you buy 10 ($460) at costco! :wtf

Is that how they are treating gene editing patents? My understanding is that the patent would be like those for drugs (which run out about 10 years too early to have significant investment in many diseases).

 

[Mike95060]

The "Airborne" couple are ready....

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loc...are-Medicine-To-Save-Sons-Life-441707613.html

I would do the exact same thing if I need to and was able.

 

[lam@barf]

Sorry, couldn't read the article in the link. That site kept trying to eat my computer. I'm grateful for a Linux OS. Who knows what that thing is doing to Windows or Android systems. :rolleyes

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I would do the exact same thing if I need to and was able.

This family happens to be a family of con artists. Airbone is bullshit.

 

[CocoLoco]

Sorry, couldn't read the article in the link. That site kept trying to eat my computer. I'm grateful for a Linux OS. Who knows what that thing is doing to Windows or Android systems. :rolleyes

It's a Wall Street Journal article...:dunno
The title of the article is literally "The Million-Dollar Cancer Treatment: Who Will Pay?"

Google it yourself on your LinuxOS.

 

[Sharxfan]

This reminds me of an article I just read where doctors did a study on a pill treatment for cancer I believe and they they found that to save money they could cut the cost down to one pill per day and save the patients tons of money. Big Pharma heard about this and got FDA approval to revamp their pill line so that now the dose of the pills was changed and since they did this they changed the prices to be more inline with the new dosage guidelines and upped the single pill cost from like $76 to $440 which was the cost for the old dosage of 3 pills. So yeah costs will come down.

Tried googling for the article but can't find it now.

 

[TylerW]

Who will pay for a million dollar cancer treatment? The spouses of cancer patients likely would, and parents of cancer patients certainly will. Cancer is a slow, tragic killer and I think most people who go through the process of losing someone to it would easily sign up for a lifetime of debt if it means they could keep their loved one alive.

It's the exploitation of human pathos, and it's disgusting.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

It's almost as if there should be socialized medicine

 

[bojangle]

This family happens to be a family of con artists. Airbone is bullshit.

I wonder if it causes cancer.

It's almost as if there should be socialized medicine

Then no one would get it.

 

[TylerW]

Then no one would get it.

Are you suggesting that Canada doesn't have healthcare?

 

[Blankpage]

Then no one would get it.

I'm a recent recipient of a socialized medicine benefits. Included multiple tests such as CT scan, x-rays, endoscopy... surgery, hospital stay, follow up tests. Cost to me $0.

 

[bojangle]

Are you suggesting that Canada doesn't have healthcare?

I'm suggesting you might not get the latest expensive treatments as a part of that health care. I'm suggesting that you might die on the waiting list for treatment.