U.S. FDA approves Biogen Alzheimer's drug, shares soar

[elnina]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

For what it's worth, neither doctors nor the FDA make any money when drugs are sold. Biogen though, yes, stands to make a lot of money.

Of course they do - one way or another.
Doctors get perks from pharma reps, they recommend this treatment or that pill, they make sure to make f/u appointments to see an endless flow of patients, they recommend specialists, useless labs or medical equipment. They will recommend this injections promising wonders that might never happen...There will be tests after tests, scans and other evaluations. Every and each will bring additional money.

FDA depends on industry funding and is addicted to drug money. FDA allows unsafe drugs on the market because of pressure from pharmaceutical companies that are funding it.
Take a look, it's well explained here:
https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2...ings-attached/

[jaminhealth]

I've been reading about this new drug that several FDA advisors have resigned over, and it's said to do what my powerful antioxidant does with amyloid plaque, I'll take mine for about 25cents a day.

[Suburban_Guy]

Furor rages over FDA approval of controversial Alzheimer's drug

In Congress, some Democrats are complaining about the price of the new Alzheimer's drug, made by the Massachusetts-based biotech giant Biogen, and threatening congressional hearings. In an interview, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., called the price "cruel," noting that beneficiaries in the traditional Medicare program would face cost-sharing of more than $11,000 a year if they did not have supplemental insurance coverage. And Part B premiums could go up for everyone.

Another complication is that the PET scans used to detect amyloid clumps - critical to diagnosing Alzheimer's - can cost thousands of dollars and are not covered by Medicare. Nor are the multiple follow-up scans needed to check for tiny brain bleeds sometimes caused by the drug.

"My greatest concern is around people with families with Alzheimer's disease," said Joshua D. Grill, an Alzheimer's researcher at the University of California at Irvine. "Few can afford the financial burden in the first place, let alone the additional costs of Aduhelm."

He said the cost of an amyloid PET scan was at least $5,000. "Doctors, families, even we researchers need more guidance," Grill said. Spinal taps offer a more affordable way of determining amyloid levels, but some patients shy away from them.

Because the drug is administered in doctors' offices and other outpatient settings, it will be included under Medicare Part B, which covers expensive intravenous drugs for cancer and other diseases. The Kaiser Family Foundation recently estimated that if 1 million Medicare beneficiaries receive Aduhelm, the total spent in a single year would be $57 billion. Medicare spent $37 billion on all Part B drugs in 2019.