Unapproved Lilly Lung Cancer Drug Stirs Price Debate

By Peter Loftus 

An experimental Eli Lilly & Co. lung cancer drug hasn't reached the market, but some doctors are already weighing in on how much it should cost--arguing the price should be below average because the drug extended patient lives by only six to seven weeks in a clinical trial.

The pre-emptive price proposal--published Thursday by the medical journal JAMA Oncology--is a sign of the rising debate over drug pricing. Cancer doctors have become increasingly vocal in their criticism, saying the costs don't seem to be tied to the benefits provided by the drugs. Last month, more than 100 oncologists published an editorial in a medical journal calling for measures to control prices.

Indianapolis-based Lilly has applied for U.S. regulatory approval to market the drug, necitumumab, for the treatment of a form of advanced lung cancer and expects a Food and Drug Administration decision by the end of this year.

A Lilly spokeswoman said it was premature to discuss pricing because the drug hasn't been approved yet.

(MORE TO COME)

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August 27, 2015 11:17 ET (15:17 GMT)

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