Hit By Slow Rollout, Biogen's Aduhelm Could Soon Find Itself In Price Competition: Reuters
- With already a snail-paced rollout of Biogen Inc's (NASDAQ: BIIB) controversial Alzheimer's treatment Aduhelm, the Company could soon face price competition.
- Companies like Roche Holdings AG (OTC: RHHBY) and Eli Lilly And Co (NYSE: LLY) are already lining up reviews for their own Alzheimer's candidates.
- Even though Roche is still months out from a potential approval, the Company says it's planning to offer the drug at a steep discount to Aduhelm's hefty $56,000 price tag.
- Roche's head of pharmaceuticals Bill Anderson told Reuters that its experimental Alzheimer's drug gantenerumab could be priced much lower than Aduhelm.
- Anderson said Roche has taken similar action in the past, including for multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus, which was launched at a price 30% below the standard of care.
- Related Link: Roche's Alzheimer's Antibody Reduces Associated Biomarkers In Subset Of AD Patients, Study Shows.
- A couple of days ago, Biogen said it was investigating the death of a 75-year-old patient potentially linked to Aduhelm.
- The patient was diagnosed with cerebral edema thought to be ARIA-E, the most common adverse event in Biogen's two placebo-controlled trials used for the approval.
- Though more than 80% of the ARIA-E events were resolved within 16 weeks.
- Eli Lilly began a rolling FDA application for its experimental Alzheimer's drug. It could get U.S. approval by 2H of 2022.
- Related: Citi Upgrades This Big Pharma Stock On Positive Alzheimer's Expectations.
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Medicare expects to issue a final decision in April on its reimbursement policy, which will apply to all plaque-reducing agents.
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