WebMD News from HealthDay
Oct. 16, 2014 -- Two newly-approved drugs can slow the progression of a deadly lung disease, but there are concerns about the drugs' high prices.
Roche's Esbriet and Boehringer Ingelheim's Ofev were approved Wednesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, The New York Times reported.
The drugs don't cure the disease -- a scarring of the lungs -- but slow lung function decline in some patients. About 100,000 Americans have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and many die within three to five years of diagnosis.
"It's very exciting to have two approved therapies now for a disease for which there were no approved therapies," Daniel Rose, chief executive of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, told The Times.
"There's a lot of enthusiasm and excitement within the patient community," he added.
However, Rose expressed concern about the willingness of insurers to pay for the drugs. The wholesale price of Esbriet will be about $7,800 a month ($94,000 a year), which is two to three times more than in Canada or Europe, The Times reported.
Boehringer won't reveal the cost of Ofev until it becomes available in about 10 days.
source : Health Highlights: Oct. 16, 2014
