Price May Prevent Merk’s New Diabetes Drug From Helping Victims
On October 17, 2006, Merk launched its new drug to combat type 2 diabetes. FDA approval of the new drug will potentially help more than 20 million people with type 2 diabetes.
The new oral drug Januvia controls blood sugar levels as well as other diabetes drugs on the market, but with fewer side effects. The new drug increases the level of a hormone that causes the pancreas to produce higher levels of insulin to process more blood sugar, while at the same time telling the liver to stop making glucose. Januvia does this by blocking the production of the enzyme DPP-4.
Although the drug is as effective as other diabetes drugs on the market, just with drastically reduced side effects, the downside is that Merk will charge 6 to 12 times more than similar drugs already on the market. This will increase the daily price of diabetes medications for a user from $.50 per day to $6.00. A drug that has the potential to positively affect the lives of the estimated 230 million people with this disease worldwide will never reach many. of those consumers at drastically high prices.
This is a great example of how big pharmaceutical companies can charge whatever they want for their innovative new drugs. The United States does not have price controls to promote the production of innovative new drugs, but what use is the innovative new drug to us if no one can pay for it?
Where do people who can’t afford insurance go? What is the best alternative to paying the outrageous prices? If you need a reasonable price on your medicine online, try searching for your medicine online from sources like Canada. Canada offers the exact same medicine that we sell on our shelves, but at substantially lower prices. Websites like FreebeeForiegnPharmacy.com will help you find the cheapest prescription drugs from Canadian and foreign pharmacies at a fraction of the cost you would pay at your local US pharmacy. Freebee also lists all consumer reviews of its pharmacies from its members, ensuring you order only from the safest and most reputable pharmacies.