A Dilemma for Governments: How to Pay for Million-Dollar Therapies

January 26, 2023

(New York Times) – The treatment, called Zolgensma, a one-time infusion, is among the first in a new class of cutting-edge gene therapies that offer enormous promise for people with fatal or debilitating conditions — at hugely expensive prices. Its maker, the pharmaceutical company Novartis, has negotiated deals with national health systems and insurers to get the drug covered in many of the richest countries. Now, with its sales slowing, the company is pushing to get broad coverage in middle-income countries such as Brazil, where public health systems are often fragile and underfunded. (Read More)