David Armstrong, a reporter for ProPublica, delves into the exorbitant cost of his cancer medication, Revlimid. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma, Armstrong discovered that each daily pill costs $1,000, despite the manufacturing cost being only 25 cents per pill. Revlimid, derived from the infamous thalidomide, fights cancer by blocking new blood vessel growth. Armstrong’s investigation reveals that Celgene, the drug’s manufacturer, employs legal tactics to delay generic competitors, allowing them to hike prices 26 times since its launch in 2005. Even after being acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2019 for $74 billion, the price continues to rise.
— new from Newser