Surely truth doesn’t have side effects
Jun 1, 2018, 6:34 AM
(File, Associated Press)
(File, Associated Press)
Since they first appeared in the 80’s, prescription drug ads have evolved into an incongruous mashup of reassuring images bathed in New Age music over a soothing description of fairly frightening side effects.
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They acknowledge every single downside. Except for the one thing they never mention: the cost!
The New York Times profiled a new anti-cancer drug called Kym-riah – a real-life miracle drug which reprograms your own immune cells to fight blood cancer.
The ad is completely upfront about everything, except the $475,000 cost.
The article was basically asking why the FDA doesn’t regulate drug prices. Well, I understand why. They don’t want to discourage innovation. Fair enough.
But why not at least require disclosing the price? If a patient can handle hearing the side effects — risk of life-threatening infections that may lead to death – I’m pretty sure he can handle hearing the price.
And while we’re at it, why not disclose how much of the research for that drug was paid for by taxpayers. I hear that pretty much every new drug approved since 2010 has been based on federal research. Surely truth doesn’t have side effects.
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