Amid growing congressional efforts to contain drug costs, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has accused Catalyst Pharmaceuticals (CPRX) of “fleecing” Americans and “immoral exploitation” by setting a “staggering” price for a recently approved drug used to treat a rare neuromuscular disorder.
In a blistering letter, Sanders accused Catalyst of “corporate greed” for charging a $375,000 list price for Firdapse, which is used to contain Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, or LEMS. Until December, patients could obtain an unapproved version for free from Jacobus Pharmaceuticals, a small, family-run company, thanks to a compassionate use program overseen by the Food and Drug Administration.
A spokesman for Catalyst later in the day wrote us that its “top priority is improving patient care in the LEMS community” and will respond to Sanders “in a timely manner and provide information about Firdapse and the programs that we have in place to raise awareness of LEMS, facilitate accurate and timely diagnosis, and broaden affordable patient access to an FDA-approved treatment.”
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