AIDS advocates are suffering from a case of sticker shock on the price for T-20 or Fuzeon $20,000 a year. The currently most expensive single AIDS drug has a list price of about $8,000. The FDA approved the sale of Fuzeon, the first in a class of entry inhibitors, March 13.
The official price in the U.S. has not been set, but the pharmaceutical company Roche announced that that it will charge 18,980 euros within the European Union for access to the drug under the special license sales program, prior to regulatory approval for sales. With the exchange rate in effect at the time of the announcement, that translates to $20,570 in the U.S. Roche said that was 'indicative of eventual global commercial prices,' though country-to-country retail prices may vary slightly.
None dispute the fact that the peptide is a complex drug, '10 times more complex to manufacture than the next most complex class of drug in the HIV arena, which is the protease inhibitors,' Roche spokesman David Reddy told Reuters. And they conceded that the company has invested a substantial amount of money in developing it.
Bob Huff follows drug development for the Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York. He thinks that the company's claim of spending $600 million development is an honest one. He said, 'The rare thing about T-20 is that its development costs have been fairly transparent' since it was essentially the sole drug for the small biotech company Trimeris. 'I was actually surprised that they didn't claim a higher figure.'
'No matter what their costs are, a price of $20,000 is out of line,' argues Martin Delaney with Project Inform in San Francisco. 'The issue isn't what they've spent, but rather what they will charge. It may well turn out that this product cannot be made at a reasonable price. It's as if we found out how to cure the disease but it costs $10 million per persona cruel joke.'
Bill Arnold, who lobbies for ADAP funding in Washington, is afraid that most of the state programs will not be able to afford to add Fuzeon to their drug formulary. Many already are tightening or rolling back eligibility requirements and have waiting lists. He calls it 'a triage decision' where putting one person with advanced disease on Fuzeon 'will preclude two people from being on standard therapy.'
Complicating the equation is whether very experienced patients who are on a six or seven drug salvage regimen that costs about $25,000 could substitute Fuzeon for several of the presumably 'failing' drugs. If that's the case, then the net increase in cost might be a more manageable $5-10,000.
Arnold has 'no idea what the right price is' for Fuzeon. But he worries that if Roche's business plan is offif the price keeps people from using the drug and Roche does not make enough moneythen the industry may turn away from developing AIDS drugs and put their efforts into products like Viagra.
Members of ACT UP/NY erected a graveyard at gates of Roche's manufacturing plant in Nutley, NJ last week. Dozens of tombstones bearing the epitaph, 'DIED OF AIDS, KILLED BY ROCHE'S GREED,' were erected in front of the drug maker, along with a banner that read 'ROCHE GRAVEYARD' and 'FUZEON'S PRICE KILLS.'
ILLINOIS'S ANNUAL HIV/AIDS LOBBY DAYS, MARCH 25-26
It is not too late to register for AIDS Foundation of Chicago's AIDS Lobby Days March 25-26, and all events are free. see www.aidschicago.org/policy/advocacy_news.html complete and return the form. Participants are responsible for their own travel and lodging.
The scholarship program is now closed. Thanks to the generosity of presenting sponsors GlaxoSmithKline and Walgreens and co-sponsors Abbott Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., and Roche Laboratories, AFC awarded a limited number of partial scholarships to Illinoisans living with HIV/AIDS to help offset the cost of lodging.
TUESDAY, MARCH 25 in Springfield, there is a Training Session, 12:30 - 5 p.m.:
Legislative Reception, 6:30-8 p.m. at the Rendezvous Room, located on the Mezzanine level of the Hilton. Lieutenant Gov. Pat Quinn, other constitutional officers, and state lawmakers will be in attendance.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26: Lobby Day, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.. Talk to your legislators about critical HIV/AIDS issues. Regional lobbying teams will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Hilton. Only registered participants will be assigned to teams and receive Lobby Day materials.
Call (312) 922-2322.