by Richard Daverman, PhD
March 12, 2014 -- For three years, Roche has been subsidizing the cost of its breast cancer drug Herceptin in parts of China. In Jiangsu province, the company has been donating 8 free vials of the drug for every six vials the province buys at the regular price, effectively creating a 57% discount. Jiangsu province itself now kicks in an additional 67% of the cost, making the drug even more affordable for its cancer patients. As pointed out in a Bloomberg story, the net effect is to reduce a $36,200 cost of treatment down to $5,300. Roche is being generous, but it also has a selfish motive: it hopes to prevent regulators from allowing a China biopharma to produce the drug at a lower cost. More details....
Stock Symbol: (SIX: ROG)
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
