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 The Boston-based Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER)
said its analysis indicated that Glaxo's Nucala should be priced at
$7,800 to about $12,000 a year, far below the drug's list price of
$32,500 a year.
It found that once-monthly injectable Nucala, which won U.S.
approval last month, significantly reduces asthma attacks and
symptoms and decreases the need for oral steroids. However, it found
that the price was not cost-effective, and that there is uncertainty
about whether the benefits will persist over the long term because
of the short duration of clinical trials.
Glaxo, in an emailed statement, said it supports the work of ICER
but disagrees with its conclusion. It said controlling severe asthma
attacks helps reduce direct and indirect costs to the healthcare
system, such as the need for urgent care visits and
hospitalizations.
"We believe that Nucala is fairly priced, balancing innovation and
market value with patient access," Glaxo spokeswoman Sarah Spencer
said.
In the same report, ICER found Novo Nordisk's long-acting insulin
Tresiba, which will compete with Sanofi's big-selling Lantus, to be
reasonably priced. It said the list price of $7,800 per year was
about 8 to 10 percent too high, but that that was "well within the
range of typical discounts available to payers."
The report found that Tresiba, which gained U.S. approval in
September, provides moderate certainty of equivalent blood sugar
control with a reduction in nocturnal hypoglycemia comparable to
other long-acting insulins.
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ICER President Steven Pearson, in a statement, said its analyses aim
"to help the health care community determine what should be used,
which patients benefit most, and at what price innovative treatments
represent a reasonable value."
ICER said the latest draft report will be open to public comment
until Jan. 12.
In a previous report, the group found that a potent new class of
injectable cholesterol-lowering drugs, one being sold by Amgen and
another by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in partnership with Sanofi,
should cost about a third of their list prices to keep costs in line
with healthcare budgets and the benefit they bring. Those drugs,
Repatha and Praluent, list for more than $14,000 a year.
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