Newer Prostate Cancer Drugs Add Months to Life — at High Cost

Patients may be asking about a New York Times article examining the impact of newer drugs for advanced prostate cancer.

The drugs, all approved by the FDA within the past 2 years, provide definite — if modest — survival benefits (all add 2 to 5 months to median survival times). They are also very expensive — a typical course of treatment can range from roughly $20,000 to $90,000. Drug companies, according to the report, seem to be following each other's leads to ever-higher prices.

The Times quotes one drug executive as telling securities analysts that "the pricing environment is encouraging and getting better for us." Annual revenues from some drugs are expected to reach $1 billion. Since the drugs are used almost exclusively in older people, Medicare could be footing much of the bill.

According to the Times, Medicare is expected to announce on Thursday whether it will cover Provenge (sipuleucel-T), which, at $93,000, is the most expensive of the newer treatments.