When is a drug overpriced? The issue has come up repeatedly as various biologics treating cancer and assorted chronic conditions carry price tags in the tens of thousands of dollars. The debate was particularly vociferous last year when the Provenge prostate cancer vaccine was priced at $93,000 (read here). Now, a new entrant may become the focal point of controversy. This morning, Seattle Genetics disclosed that the annual cost for Adcetris, which the FDA approved late last week to combat Hodgkin’s disease and another rare lymphoma, will cost $13,500 per dose. In clinical trials, patients received an average of eight infusions, which works out to $108,000 a year, which Xconomy reports was in line with several Wall Street estimates.
