Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Three Times As Many Consumers Spend $100,000 Or More On Prescription Drugs
More than a half-million U.S. patients had medication costs in excess of $50,000 in 2014, an increase of 63 percent from the prior year, as doctors prescribed more expensive specialty drugs for diseases such as cancer and hepatitis C, according to an Express Scripts report released on Wednesday. Of the estimated 575,000 Americans who used at least $50,000 in prescription medicines last year, about 139,000 used at least $100,000 worth of medication, nearly triple the 47,000 who hit that mark in 2013, the report said. (Berkrot, 5/13)
Pricey cancer drugs, expensive new cures for hepatitis and made-to-order drugs have driven U.S. prescription costs to new highs for some Americans, according to a report issued Wednesday. It finds that more than half a million Americans each took home $50,000 or more worth of prescription drugs last year. And the number of super-high spenders prescribed $100,000 or more worth of medications nearly tripled from 47,000 to 139,000, pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts says. (Fox, 5/13)
And on the personalized medicine front -
AstraZeneca is diving deeper into personalised healthcare with two projects that move the concept beyond cancer into respiratory disorders and heart disease. Personalised or precision medicine, which tailors treatment to a patient's genetic profile, is an increasing focus for drug companies, especially after an initiative from U.S. President Barack Obama in January. (Hirschler, 5/13)
