$56K Alzheimer's drug avoiding Biden's cost curbs, for now

[turbinetree]

Source: Associated Press

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR 15 minutes ago



WASHINGTON (AP) — A new $56,000-a-year Alzheimer’s medication that’s leading to one of the biggest increases ever in Medicare premiums is highlighting the limitations of President Joe Biden’s strategy for curbing prescription drug costs.

The medication known as Aduhelm would be protected from Medicare price negotiations for more than a decade under the Democratic drug pricing compromise before Congress, part of Biden’s social agenda legislation. That’s because the bill doesn’t allow Medicare to negotiate over newly launched drugs, providing a window for drugmakers to recoup investments in research and development. Biologics such as Aduhelm get 13 years of protection.

Seniors soon will be paying higher premiums so Medicare can set aside a contingency fund to cover Aduhelm, which is made by the pharmaceutical company Biogen. It’s the first Alzheimer’s medication in nearly 20 years. But its benefits have been widely questioned.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-health-business-prescription-drug-costs-prescription-drugs-e2eb18059c54ec2091b7486698af84f4

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Usually the financial impact of high-cost drugs falls most directly on patients with serious diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis. But with Aduhelm, the financial pain is being spread among Medicare recipients generally, not just Alzheimer’s patients needing the drug.

“This is the poster child drug for showing how one medication can have a high impact on premiums and costs incurred by people on Medicare, not just those who are taking that drug,” said Tricia Neuman, a Medicare expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “This is not a hypothetical question: ‘Do drug prices impact premiums?’ This is a case closed.”


You think it is time to come out of the cave and be like other industrialized countries....

[The Mouth]

2. It would be better to just limit *ALL* patents to 7 years

as they originally were.

[marybourg]

3. Would be ok if it really worked.

[caraher]

10. yes

Lost in the discussion of cost is the questionable efficacy. This is just a big giveaway of our money to Big Pharma for little benefit

[Ford_Prefect]

4. I have a better answer: Nationalize the patent and the production and cap the profits.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Alzheimer's drugs were supposed to save money

by keeping patients at home, with lighter care. So why not take the money out of those savings instead of penalizing everyone?

[quaint]

6. Exactly. Penalizing everyone for a drug that might have some benefits for some people.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. Well that's the idea behind insurance, but it just seems that the ideas behind the policies

to pay for it, and what the benefits would be, have changed over time, perhaps due to shifting administrations, or shifts in other priorities. Drugs are supposed to be part of the prescription plan.

[quaint]

13. What NewHendoLib said in #11

I understand how insurance is supposed to work; lobbyists and investments influence Medicare priorities.

[HUAJIAO]

8. rip off city !!!!!!!!!

[Bayard]

9. This is why drugs are so outrageously expensive here

"Providing a window for drugmakers to recoup investments in research and development". The U.S. foots the cost for R&D everywhere. Other countries don't let them get by with this.

[NewHendoLib]

11. the high cost of an ineffective drug that raises Part B costs is complete and utter bullshit.

[gab13by13]

12. I don't see things changing

Congressional Christmas vacation is upon us.

[MySideOfTown]

14. Turns out viagra is effective against dementia from Alzheimer syndrome

https://www.sciencealert.com/giant-study-finds-viagra-is-linked-to-almost-70-lower-risk-of-alzheimer-s

[MySideOfTown]

15. Alzheimer's is not a disease. It is a syndrome that causes a disease called Dementia

Viagra seems to alleviate the syndrome. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59546948

Viagra is a drug that expands clogged arteries allowing blood to flow more freely. Helps with ED

Clogged arteries. Like cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease.

Back in the 90s plaques in arteries was associated with trans fats, an artificial fat made by bubbling hydrogen through a boiling vegetable fat in the presence of a platinum catalyst .

Now you know. Don't eat trans fats, like margarine. cool whip, instant mashed potatoes. Check ingredients. Your brain will appreciate it when you get older.