Working Paper: NBER ID: w20867
Authors: David H. Howard; Peter B. Bach; Ernst R. Berndt; Rena M. Conti
Abstract: Drugs like bevacizumab ($50,000 per treatment episode) and ipilimumab ($120,000 per episode) have fueled the perception that the launch prices of anticancer drugs are increasing over time. Using an original dataset of 58 anticancer drugs approved between 1995 and 2013, we find that launch prices, adjusted for inflation and drugs’ survival benefits, increased by 10%, or about $8,500, per year. Although physicians are not penalized for prescribing costly drugs, they may be reluctant to prescribe drugs with prices that exceed subjective standards of fairness. Manufacturers may set higher launch prices over time as standards evolve. Pricing trends may also reflect manufacturers’ response to expansions in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which requires manufacturers to provide steep discounts to eligible providers.
Keywords: anticancer drugs; drug pricing; healthcare policy
JEL Codes: I1
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| 340b drug pricing program (L42) | drug launch prices (P22) |
| drug pricing strategies (D49) | drug launch prices (P22) |
| average launch prices of anticancer drugs (P22) | incremental survival benefits (J17) |
| drug launch prices (P22) | incremental survival benefits (J17) |