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ICER panel: Low value for Vertex CF drugs

May 17, 2018 11:20 PM UTC

The Midwest Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (CEPAC) voted that the long-term value was low for three cystic fibrosis drugs from Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTX) as some patients and payers voiced their frustration at the biotech's pricing of the therapies.

The 12-member CEPAC panel, which is an affiliate of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), reviewed Kalydeco ivacaftor, Orkambi ivacaftor/lumacaftor and Symdeko tezacaftor/ivacaftor. In all three cases, the panel agreed that the evidence supported a benefit of these drugs over standard of care. But 10 panel members voted that the value for the money of Kalydeco was low and two voted that it was intermediate. For both Orkambi and Symdeko, the votes were 11 for low value and 1 for intermediate. ...