The most expensive Drug in the world: Two million dollars per dose

A dose cost a good two million dollars and is to small to treat children suffering from a muscle disease. According to the pharmaceutical manufacturer a one-time application saves the life of the patient and avoids follow-up costs.

The Swiss pharmaceutical group Novartis has received US FDA approval for a Gene therapy. The one-time dose of the drug can cost well over two million dollars and is the most expensive Drug in the world. The FDA approved the use of the Drug Zolgensma in children under two years of age, suffering from the genetic disorder spinal muscular atrophy.

viable in the long term

the agent has initiated, Novartis is a discussion on the cost of Gene therapies: first, were the approval of the high cost of procedures encountered resistance from the authorities. However, Novartis argued, apparently successfully, a unique application to save would be to rely on the lives of patients who otherwise, on long-term treatments with a cost of several hundred thousand dollars per year.

A dose of the drug Zolgensma cost a good two million dollars - it avoids the cost according to the manufacturer, but a result.

spinal muscle atrophy leads to a progressive atrophy of the muscles and to an early death or life long disability. The muscle disease is seen in around one out of 10,000 babies born.

rates of payments for insurance

Novartis provides health insurance to its own information, payments to rates. Experts estimate according to a survey that the group can generate with the resources by the year 2022, sales of two billion dollars.

The pharmaceutical companies compete with the resources Spinraza of the U.S. biotechnology company Biogen. This Medicine needs to be administered every four months, fails in the first year of Treatment with 750,000 dollars to beech and, in consequence, with more than 375,000 dollars per year.

approval in Europe?

Novartis had made for the now-approved means least, a price range of 1.5 million to five million dollars in the room. Zolgensma belongs to the Repertoire of Novartis, for the Swiss group in 2018, the Chicago-based company AveXis bought for $ 8.7 billion. The Swiss Novartis ' rival Roche is working on a drug against the disease.

Novartis expects this year with a permit in Europe and Japan.