Posted by Michael Wonder on 08 May 2017
PTC Therapeutics' DMD drug Emflaza to cost $35,000 a year and launch within the coming weeks
8 May 2017 - PTC Therapeutics said early Monday that it plans to launch the Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug Emflaza at a price of $35,000 a year and within the coming weeks.
The price tag comes in below the controversial $89,000-a-year price set by Emflaza's previous owner, privately-held Marathon Pharmaceuticals, which faced so much backlash on the drug's price tag that it delayed Emflaza's launch. The price tag was especially controversial because the drug is part of a class of corticosteroids used for DMD in other parts of the world and available as cheaply as $1,000 a year.
PTC Therapeutics said it believes the new price is "sustainable" and "balances providing access to all eligible patient in the United States in an ultra-orphan population while maintaining sufficient infrastructure and programs, including continued investment in Duchenne," said Chief Executive Officer Stuart Peltz, according to the FactSet earnings call transcript.
