How much can a saved year of life cost? New study wants to stimulate social debate
The liberal think tank Avenir Suisse proposes measuring drug prices according to the financial value of a healthy year of life. The pharmaceutical industry, health insurance companies and a patient organization stand by the revolutionary proposal.
Therapy costs in the millions for new gene therapies are putting pressure on the healthcare system.
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2.2 million francs. That’s how much a single infusion with the most expensive drug in Switzerland, Zolgensma from Novartis, costs. The gene therapy aims to cure babies with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a deadly genetic disease in which the nerve cells in the spinal cord atrophy first, followed by the muscles. It affects about 1 in 6000 newborns worldwide.
