Thread by @VincentRK

Myeloma Drug Costs per month:
Bortezomib $6000
Elotuzumab $10500
Ixazomib $11000
Panobinostat $12000
Isatuximab $13500
Daratumumab SQ $15000
Lenalidomide $16000
Carfilzomib $16000
Pomalidomide $20000
Selinexor $22000
Belantamab $24000

Patients need 2-3 of these in combination.

I'll be watching and posting the cost of Melflufen and CAR-T

Myeloma treatment is often continuous. Myeloma patients even with insurance can have substantial co-pays. Middle class patients who don't qualify for very low income assistance programs are affected a lot.

For more on the high cost of prescription drugs, especially cancer drugs and what we need to do about it, please check out this article. nature.com/articles/s4140…

There are very few allies in the struggle to lower prescription drug costs. Everyone in the system benefits from high costs except patients.

This story is not unique to myeloma. I could a similar list for just about every cancer. Every cancer drug approved in the 5 years is >$100,000 per year.

Unsustainable.

Some new cancer drugs work very well. However many new drug approvals are for drugs with marginal or modest benefit: few months extra in survival. Some even less, or not at all.

Regardless of whether a drug improves lifespan by a day or a week or a month or not at all, the price can be set to whatever the drug company wants. Whatever.

Therein lies the broken system. Unregulated monopoly.

Regardless of whether a drug improves lifespan by a day or a week or not at all, the price of a drug can be increased at an time over and over again, whenever and to whatever level the drug company wants.

Therein lies the broken system.

Not just cancer drugs. This can happen with any drug. Even insulin.