Novartis may give away a new drug with a price tag above $2 million for free to some patients using a lottery-style program. The drug, Zolgensma, is a cure for a deadly inherited disease, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and the world’s most expensive drug.
It was approved by the FDA in May 2019. The news of the lottery system was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The high price tag brought attention to the drug when it was approved earlier this year, though Novartis maintains the price is on par with other gene therapies. U.S. medication prices cost about 300% more than the global median. In addition, Zolgensma is intended only for a small population affected by SMA. The drug could be free for a small population outside the U.S. under the global managed-access program.
Still, Novartis’s approach is different, as most companies that give away experimental drugs not approved in other countries do so under compassionate use programs that consider requests on a case-by-case basis. High demand for Zolgensma led Novartis to the lottery-style system. If production allows, Novartis aims to distribute 100 free doses annually.
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Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."