Gilead Pills Priced at $1,000 a Day Are Found Cost-Effective
Doni Bloomfield, www.bloomberg.com

Over half the panelists making this finding might have been financially influenced by the company whose product they are recommending. Their finding might be true, nevertheless. I would even go so far as to say that it is probably true. I sure would prefer a better selection of panelists, however. They call these people “top researchers.” IMO you don’t have to be a top researcher or an industry flack to make these determinations, there are plenty of other choices in America’s MDs and PhDs. I am totally unimpressed by claims made by the pharmaceutical industry, et al., that experts are in short supply.

The answer to whether these drugs are cost-effective is “a resounding yes,” Benjamin Linas, a member of the group and a doctor at Boston Medical Center, said by phone. The conclusions will be issued soon, Linas said.

Linas co-wrote a separate paper that found that Gilead’s drug was only cost-effective for some early-stage patients after being discounted between 40 percent and 60 percent. The panel’s report refers to the cost of the drugs after discounts, Linas said.