Folotyn Follows Price Signals

Even though the price Allos Therapeutics Inc. has set for Folotyn pralatrexate exceeds analyst estimates by 20-120%, the company does not expect pushback from payers. Its reason is that Folotyn has proven efficacy in an Orphan cancer for which expensive agents used off-label are already being reimbursed.

When Folotyn received accelerated approval from FDA in September, the small molecule dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor became the first agent ever approved for refractory peripheral T cell lymphoma. PTCL is a subset of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with an overall incidence of 19,900 patients in the U.S. An estimated 9,850 are relapsed/refractory patients being treated or referred for treatment or a clinical trial...