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About the Gilenya pricing scam

Last week I googled "buy fingolimod" and got several wholesale outlets that sell...

Posted by eileenkq

Last week I googled "buy fingolimod" and got several wholesale outlets that sell fingolimod for non-human research (so more applications can be found). At one company it costs $42.00 for 50mg. The Gilenya website says that the pills would be 0.05mg each day. That's about 15mg a month. Simple math shows that we could all get fingolimod for about $14 a month if we were allowed to buy it that way. Based on their projected price of $4,000 a month, that's a 285 times markup!
It is also my opinion that the $4,000 a month was figured by adding a thousand to the average $3,000 a month of the other therapies. They figure that no needles are worth $1,000 a month. The company line is that there is assistance available. Sure there is — if your family income is less than $30,000. Another company line is that insurance will cover most of the cost. With 40% of Americans not insured, I wonder how many people with MS aren't able to afford any therapy at all. I have a co-pay with my insurance of 25%.
As much as I hate needles and as good as the product predicts to be, I suggest we all boycott Novartis' Gilenya until they lower their price to at least $1,000 a month. That's still exorbitant but they do have the clinical trials to pay for - an estimated $25 million from what I've heard. There's also the research money they paid out in advance to recoup.
In case you're wondering, I use Copaxone and I have a $777.10 a month co-pay (25% of their "negotiated"cost). I did use Betaseron and got drug-induced Lupus and had to change. At least Betaseron uses the overies of Guniea pigs (in China) and that requires mfg. cost (and yuk!). I can almost see the large manufacturing cost for Betaseron but it looks like all of the other therapies base their price on Betaseron's high price. I was infuriated with Copaxone 's price (soon to go generic) and really hoped that the new oral medication would be cheaper. When I found out the price I nearly stroked out. A cure that took maybe 12 months of treatment would be worth that, maybe, but the drug companies are really taking advantage of the fact that there is no cure and they've got us over a barrel. The new medication is based on a Chinese herbal remedy.
Yes, I'm posting everywhere but y'all do the same and spread the word. Let's show Novartis' Gilenya that people with MS are tougher than they think!View Thread

Posted byeileenkq

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