Faced With Competition From Generics, Pharma Companies Shift Tack To Marketing Pricey Drugs
The companies are moving from airing ads touting their products that help the broader public to ones that target rarer conditions. In other news, a Houston-based foundation directs millions towards reining in drug prices.
The Wall Street Journal:
New Drug Ads Tout Serious Conditions, Costly Treatments
TV audiences have grown accustomed to ads for treatments for erectile dysfunction, overactive bladder and a host of common or “lifestyle” conditions. But viewers of the Jan. 31 Fox broadcast of “Grease Live” caught a glimpse of the industry’s newest marketing tack: a clip promoting a lung-cancer drug. The spot is one of several hitting the airwaves for drugs treating serious, life-threatening conditions or those with relatively small patient populations—often expensive medicines prescribed by specialist doctors. For example, Opdivo costs about $12,500 a month for the average U.S. patient. (Loftus, 2/16)
The Wall Street Journal:
Couple To Give $7.2 Million Toward Efforts To Lower Drug Prices
A Houston-based philanthropist couple is adding their financial firepower to efforts to make prescription drugs more affordable in the U.S. The Laura and John Arnold Foundation will provide a total of $7.2 million to four organizations to fund research and pilot projects aimed at reining in drug costs and lowering financial barriers for patients, according to the foundation. (Loftus, 2/16)