Therapeutics developer Catalyst Pharmaceuticals has been challenged over the $375,000 annual cost of its previously free drug. US Senator LEMS objected to the price hike on Firdapse, the first FDA-approved drug to treat Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, an autoimmune disorder, calling it a "blatant fleecing of American taxpayers" given that the annual manufacturing cost is just $1,600-$6,000. Catalyst responded to say it has spent millions of dollars from two phase-three trials to bring the drug to the market, adding that the company has numerous financial assistance programmes to reduce costs.
Therapeutics developer Catalyst Pharmaceuticals has been challenged over the $375,000 annual cost of its previously free drug. US Senator Bernie Sanders objected to the price hike on Firdapse, the first FDA-approved drug to treat Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, an autoimmune disorder, calling it a "blatant fleecing of American taxpayers" given that the annual manufacturing cost is just $1,600-$6,000. Catalyst responded to say it has spent millions of dollars from two phase-three trials to bring the drug to the market, adding that the company has numerous financial assistance programmes to reduce costs.