Posted by Michael Wonder on 28 Feb 2019
U.S. Senator Sanders urges FDA to allow older versions of $375,000 drug
28 February 2019 - U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders this week urged regulators to allow pharmacies and manufacturers to resume distributing unbranded, lower-cost versions of a drug used to treat a rare neuromuscular disorder.
The drug is now sold at a list price of $375,000 a year by Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc under the brand name Firdapse. It is used to treat Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, which affects about one in 100,000 people in the United States.
The company received FDA approval for Firdapse in November, along with rights to sell it exclusively for several years under a designation granted to developers of treatments for rare diseases.
