Bach proposes indication-specific prices

Peter Bach, director of Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Center for Health Policy and Outcomes, advocated creating an indication-based pricing system for cancer drugs in a commentary published in the Oct. 3 Abraxane nab-paclitaxel from Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ:CELG), noting its survival benefit in metastatic breast cancer is more than twice its benefit in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet with similar treatment costs.

In 2012, Bach and colleagues at Sloan-Kettering authored a critique of Zaltrap ziv-aflibercept in The New York Times that has been credited with persuading Sanofi (Euronext:SAN; NYSE:SNY) to provide 50% discounts for the colorectal cancer drug (see BioCentury, Nov. 19, 2012). ...