The true cost: Why life-saving drugs are so inaccessible and how one student group is working to change that

Emma Wozniak
Thu, 07 Nov 2024 13:00:10 +0000
Campus, News, Special Projects

Taxpayers shelled out at least $3.8 million to help develop a cancer drug that offers new promise to patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.?

It now costs over $194,000 per year for those who need it.

For people suffering from various rare forms of blood cancer, acalabrutinib offers the promise of improved life quality by reducing serious side effects — namely suppressed immune systems that left patients dangerously vulnerable to infection — that came from previously established treatments.

This drug’s discovery was a big win for Ohio State researchers, who took the lead role in acalabrutinib’s development and eventual FDA approval. The drug’s high cost, however, has also drawn the attention of a global organization dedicated to making medical technologies more affordable and accessible to patients who need them.

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