Drug Pricing

Cancer has historically been among the most expensive diseases to treat due to drug and other costs.  Drug pricing became a specific topic of broad discussion amongst providers with the Gleevec’s arrival in 2001, with a launch price of approximately $2,200/month.  Prices for branded agents continued to rise steadily, with Erbitux pushing the trend upward

JCO recently published an article by a radiation oncologist at Stanford, and apparently believed it was important enough to make it an “Editor’s Pick.” The article describes a cost effectiveness study conducted with a rigorous and well-documented methodology. Peter Bach provides an editorial that initially lauds the oncologist's work, but then veers away toward his recurring