Biolyse Pharma offers to supply enzalutamide (Xtandi) for $3 per pill to Medicare and developing countries

On April 22, 2016, the President of Biolyse Pharma — a Canadian pharmaceutical company that specializes in the manufacture of oncology drugs — offered to supply the prostate cancer drug enzalutamide (Xtandi) to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for $3 per pill ($12 per day; $4,383 per year). The Biolyse price for enzalutamide is 4-percent of the 2014 Medicare price, $69.41 ($277.64 per day; $101,408.01 per year), and lower than any other price in the world.

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KEI comment on USTR’s 2016 Special 301 report

The 2016 USTR Special 301 report is now available. (copy here). The report is 77 pages of complaints about intellectual property policies around the world, plus a number of other complaints, including those related to pricing and reimbursement of pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices, restrictions on data flows, standard setting, and government procurement.

On the one hand, USTR says it is supports “access to medicine for all.”

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WHO releases program of work and progress report in advance of Consultative Expert Working Group on R&D (2-4 May 2016)

The World Health Organization (WHO) is convening an open-ended meeting of member states on the Follow-up of the report of the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination (CEWG) in Geneva, Switzerland at WHO headquarters from 2 May 2016 to 4 May 2016. The WHO has published the provisional agenda, the proposed program of work and progress report. Continue Reading

Letter to HHS and NIH regarding impact of high prices on cost effectiveness of Xtandi

KEI submitted the attached letter to Secretary Burwell and Director Collins in support of the KEI/UACT petition that asked the NIH (or the Army) to use the federal government rights in the patents on the prostate cancer drug Xtandi, to remedy the excessive and discriminatory price in the United States. The letter calls attention to findings of an article from the the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, in which the authors conclude that a reduction in price would make Xtandi the most-cost effective option.

The text of the letter follows:

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