High Prices for High Profits?

Abstract

Canadian and foreign governments are struggling with determining whether to reimburse expensive drugs for rare diseases. The problem is that although insurers want to offer fair access to medicines for patients with rare diseases, the drugs are often priced far above normal cost-effectiveness thresholds. This leaves insurers with no tools to determine how much to pay. This article notes one reasonable standard: prices should not, in these circumstances, allow for profiteering by innovative companies.