The fervor over a drug company?s decision to hike the price of a drug used to treat a potentially deadly parasitic disease has drawn at least one market competitor to attempt an alternative.
San Diego-based Imprimis Pharmaceuticals said it would offer customized versions of its drugs for less than $1 a pill as an alternative to Daraprim.
Turing Pharmaceuticals was indundated with criticism last month when it raised the price of Daraprim by more than 5,000%, from $13.50 a pill to $750. The Food and Drug Administration-approved Daraprim is used to treat toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease that afflicts people with weakened immune systems, such as those with AIDS and pregnant women.
Investors applauded the move, driving Imprimis shares (IMMY) up 7% to $6.41 in early trading Friday.
To be sure, the FDA has not approved Imprimis? compounded drug formulations as a recommended treatment for toxoplasmosis.
But doctors can prescribe the medications for individuals when they perceive it to be a viable alternative treatment.
The Imprimis oral capsules ? which are customized formulations of its pyrimethamine and leucovorin treatments ? will be offered starting at $99 for a 100-count bottle.
?Recent generic drug price increases have made us concerned and caused us to take positive action to address an opportunity to help a needy patient population,? Imprimis CEO Mark L. Baum said in a statement. ?While we respect Turing's right to charge patients and insurance companies whatever it believes is appropriate, there may be more cost-effective compounded options for medications, such as Daraprim, for patients, physicians, insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers to consider.?
San Diego-based Imprimis Pharmaceuticals said it would offer customized versions of its drugs for less than $1 a pill as an alternative to Daraprim.
Turing Pharmaceuticals was indundated with criticism last month when it raised the price of Daraprim by more than 5,000%, from $13.50 a pill to $750. The Food and Drug Administration-approved Daraprim is used to treat toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease that afflicts people with weakened immune systems, such as those with AIDS and pregnant women.
Investors applauded the move, driving Imprimis shares (IMMY) up 7% to $6.41 in early trading Friday.
To be sure, the FDA has not approved Imprimis? compounded drug formulations as a recommended treatment for toxoplasmosis.
But doctors can prescribe the medications for individuals when they perceive it to be a viable alternative treatment.
The Imprimis oral capsules ? which are customized formulations of its pyrimethamine and leucovorin treatments ? will be offered starting at $99 for a 100-count bottle.
?Recent generic drug price increases have made us concerned and caused us to take positive action to address an opportunity to help a needy patient population,? Imprimis CEO Mark L. Baum said in a statement. ?While we respect Turing's right to charge patients and insurance companies whatever it believes is appropriate, there may be more cost-effective compounded options for medications, such as Daraprim, for patients, physicians, insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers to consider.?
But let's be honest. How many friends or relatives you know who was died of AIDS or was at least infected with HIV? I know zero. How come? In a country which is so HIV-infected according to wikipedia I knew zero HIV-positive people during my life. I've lost many in car accidents (a few in the flight crashing accidents - those are real rare thing). Most died of cancer and heart-related diseases. But for a whole my life I have never knew a person who has HIV. As a person with a high education, I know that HIV is real, but even I have some irrational doubts, because I must have at least one chance to know someone infected with it.
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