Comments on: Genentech Blinks And Delays Avastin Restrictions http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/under-pressure-genentech-postpones-avastin-restrictions/ News, Comment and Conversation Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:11:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Martin http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/under-pressure-genentech-postpones-avastin-restrictions/#comment-24845 Martin Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:44:42 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/under-pressure-genentech-postpones-avastin-restrictions/#comment-24845 Off label usage whether promoted or not still results in huge scripts of avastin Off label usage whether promoted or not still results in huge scripts of avastin

]]> By: Tim http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/under-pressure-genentech-postpones-avastin-restrictions/#comment-23966 Tim Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:31:39 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/under-pressure-genentech-postpones-avastin-restrictions/#comment-23966 Most important on this isssue is the potential effect for the healtcare systems worldwide. Experts estimated, that use of Lucentis has the impact to cost 10% of the whole drug budget or maybe more. That's a unique situation. Genentech (or Novartis, the distributor outside the USA) are able to pay the patient assistance programs out of the petty cash. Avastin/Lucentis looks like optimizing the revenue at the expense of taxpayers and health insurance funds. It is also an ethical question. Most important on this isssue is the potential effect for the healtcare systems worldwide. Experts estimated, that use of Lucentis has the impact to cost 10% of the whole drug budget or maybe more. That’s a unique situation. Genentech (or Novartis, the distributor outside the USA) are able to pay the patient assistance programs out of the petty cash.

Avastin/Lucentis looks like optimizing the revenue at the expense of taxpayers and health insurance funds. It is also an ethical question.

]]> By: Ed Silverman http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/under-pressure-genentech-postpones-avastin-restrictions/#comment-23950 Ed Silverman Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:06:29 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/under-pressure-genentech-postpones-avastin-restrictions/#comment-23950 Hi Nathan, That's a good point. The issue, as I understand it in this situation, is criticism that Genentech isn't pursuing an indication for wet macular degeneration for the older Avastin drug. So the result is this conundrum. Perhaps this wouldn't have occurred if the price differential between the two drugs wasn't so great. Thanks for writing in, ed at Pharmalot Hi Nathan,

That’s a good point. The issue, as I understand it in this situation, is criticism that Genentech isn’t pursuing an indication for wet macular degeneration for the older Avastin drug. So the result is this conundrum. Perhaps this wouldn’t have occurred if the price differential between the two drugs wasn’t so great.

Thanks for writing in,

ed at Pharmalot

]]> By: Nathan http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/under-pressure-genentech-postpones-avastin-restrictions/#comment-23891 Nathan Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:58:04 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/under-pressure-genentech-postpones-avastin-restrictions/#comment-23891 If promotion of off-label usage is such a bad thing, why are people upset that Genentech is gently pushing people to use an APPROVED ocular drug rather than an older drug for which ocular usage has never been studied? It seems rather hypicritical to bash pharma companies for promoting off-label usage of drugs, and then bashing them when they are try to get people to switch from an off-label to an on-label drug. Am I missing something? If promotion of off-label usage is such a bad thing, why are people upset that Genentech is gently pushing people to use an APPROVED ocular drug rather than an older drug for which ocular usage has never been studied?

It seems rather hypicritical to bash pharma companies for promoting off-label usage of drugs, and then bashing them when they are try to get people to switch from an off-label to an on-label drug. Am I missing something?

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