Life, Death, and Money: The Hidden Economics of Cancer
With new developments in immuno-oncology and targeted therapies, there has never been a more hopeful time for people fighting cancer. However, these advances continue to be followed by media claims that “drugs are too expensive,” a claim that has dogged the pharmaceutical industry for nearly a hundred years (see newspaper articles from 1988, 1955, and as far back as 1917.)
As a health economist and cancer survivor, I’m here to tell you that most of what you read about cancer drug cost tells only a small part of the story.