Marko Georgiev for The New York Times
Doctors are excited about the prospect of Avastin, a drug already
widely used for colon cancer, as a crucial new treatment for
br.east and lung cancer, too. But doctors are cringing at the price
the maker, Genentech, plans to charge for it: about US$100,000 a
year.
Doctors, though, warn that some cancer patients are already being
priced out of the Avastin market. Even some patients with insurance
are thinking hard before agreeing to treatment, doctors say,
because out-of-pocket co-payments for the drug could easily run
US$10,000 to $20,000 a year.
Studies show that Avastin can prolong the lives of patients with
late-stage breast and lung cancer by several months when the drug
is combined with existing therapies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/15/business/15drug.html?ex=1297659600&en=62aabaec5acffa8c&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
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Singapore should buy over these companies and sell cancer medicines
cheaply to the world......do not let money-minded companies hold
this world to ransom.
