Novartis needs to make Gilenya cheaper for MS, or find generous payers
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Novartis may struggle to convince payers that Gilenya (fingolimod), its oral treatment for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), is more cost effective than beta interferon, unless the cost of the drug falls below $3476 per month or a higher than normal willingness to pay (WTP) threshold is accepted by payers. This is the main conclusion of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy and the Hartford Hospital and published in the current issue of the Journal of Medical Economics (J Med Econ 2012; 1–9).