Marathon pauses DMD launch to rethink price

Reeling from outrage expressed by patients, the public and politicians, Marathon Pharmaceuticals LLC (Northbrook, Ill.) said Monday it is “temporarily pausing the commercialization” of Emflaza deflazacort to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Since the drug's approval last week, Marathon has faced strong reactions to the drug's proposed wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) of $89,000 per year (see BioCentury Extra, Feb. 9).

The company said it will “meet with caregivers and explain our commercialization plans, review their concerns, discuss all options, and move forward with commercialization based on an agreed plan of action.” It did not provide a launch timeline...