A progesterone hormone injection, used to prevent preterm labor, used to be $10 a shot. Now that the FDA has assigned an exclusive right to create the easily-made formula to one company, KV Pharmaceuticals, the price has risen to $1500. Almost all of it is pure profit, and KV Pharma did not develop the drug or pay for its trials: the taxpayer did, via the National Institute for Health. It is said to be the only drug proven to prevent pre-term birth, and an expert cited by ABC News suggests that the profession was snookered into supporting the assignment as a quality standardization measure.
Pure, disgusting greed. I understand drug companies charging large amounts for drugs they have developed, they need to pay for their R&D somehow. This is just wrong, KV didn't even develop the drug. Reminds me of a book I read recently, Money-Driven Medicne.
[ABC News]
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