Now that the patent has expired, this cancer drug is suddenly 99% cheaper
By Lucien Hordijk, Liza van Lonkhuyzen, | 24 March, 2022
The patent on the cancer drug Revlimid (lenalidomide) recently expired. Whereas a few weeks ago a pack still cost over 4,500 euros, after generic competition this is now only about 20 euros. This means that Dutch hospitals will save over 130 million euros.
Many of the main criticisms of the industry come together in this dossier: evergreening, price increases, shocking sales, and competition issues. Cellgene and Bristol Myers Squibb, respectively, raked in over €75 billion during the lifecycle of this product, according to an investigation by The Investigative Desk in collaboration with NRC.
Read the full article on NRC (in Dutch).
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