User login
Credit: Steven Harbour
The recent surge in spending on oral anticancer drugs in the US exceeds the increase in use of these drugs, new research shows.
Average quarterly national spending on oral oncologics increased 37% during the period studied, from $940 million in the first quarter of 2006 to $1.4 billion in the third quarter of 2011.
But the average quarterly use of these drugs in the same time period increased by only 10%.
This suggests price increases are a significant driver of spending trends.
Rena M. Conti, PhD, of the University of Chicago in Illinois, and her colleagues examined recent trends in spending and use of oral oncologics and disclosed their findings in Health Affairs.
Of the 47 drugs analyzed, most were targeted agents (30%), hormonal agents (26%), and alkylating agents (19%).
The researchers observed a significant increase in national spending on oral oncologics from 2006 to 2011—an estimated average quarterly increase of $20 million.
This was driven by brand-name, patent-protected drugs, but the use of these drugs climbed a comparatively small amount. Average quarterly spending of patent-protected drugs increased 61%, and average quarterly use increased 30% between 2006 and the period from September 2010 to September 2011.
“This is an exciting time, an era of breakthrough cancer drugs,” Dr Conti said. “Some of these medications have extended the lives of many people with certain types of cancer. However, spending on these brand-name oral oncologics is outstripping national spending on all pharmaceuticals and all medical care spending generally.”
The researchers also discovered that when oncologics lose patent protection, spending takes a nosedive. The use of newly off-patent drugs increased by 16%, but average quarterly spending on those drugs fell by 65%.
Another finding was that US spending on targeted anticancer agents increased from 35% of all oral cancer drugs in 2006 to nearly 60% in 2011.
Meanwhile, spending on hormonal agents decreased from 42% of total spending to 19%, spending on antimetabolites increased from 11% to 12%, and spending on alkylating agents decreased from 10% to 8%. 
Credit: Steven Harbour
The recent surge in spending on oral anticancer drugs in the US exceeds the increase in use of these drugs, new research shows.
Average quarterly national spending on oral oncologics increased 37% during the period studied, from $940 million in the first quarter of 2006 to $1.4 billion in the third quarter of 2011.
But the average quarterly use of these drugs in the same time period increased by only 10%.
This suggests price increases are a significant driver of spending trends.
Rena M. Conti, PhD, of the University of Chicago in Illinois, and her colleagues examined recent trends in spending and use of oral oncologics and disclosed their findings in Health Affairs.
Of the 47 drugs analyzed, most were targeted agents (30%), hormonal agents (26%), and alkylating agents (19%).
The researchers observed a significant increase in national spending on oral oncologics from 2006 to 2011—an estimated average quarterly increase of $20 million.
This was driven by brand-name, patent-protected drugs, but the use of these drugs climbed a comparatively small amount. Average quarterly spending of patent-protected drugs increased 61%, and average quarterly use increased 30% between 2006 and the period from September 2010 to September 2011.
“This is an exciting time, an era of breakthrough cancer drugs,” Dr Conti said. “Some of these medications have extended the lives of many people with certain types of cancer. However, spending on these brand-name oral oncologics is outstripping national spending on all pharmaceuticals and all medical care spending generally.”
The researchers also discovered that when oncologics lose patent protection, spending takes a nosedive. The use of newly off-patent drugs increased by 16%, but average quarterly spending on those drugs fell by 65%.
Another finding was that US spending on targeted anticancer agents increased from 35% of all oral cancer drugs in 2006 to nearly 60% in 2011.
Meanwhile, spending on hormonal agents decreased from 42% of total spending to 19%, spending on antimetabolites increased from 11% to 12%, and spending on alkylating agents decreased from 10% to 8%.
Credit: Steven Harbour
The recent surge in spending on oral anticancer drugs in the US exceeds the increase in use of these drugs, new research shows.
Average quarterly national spending on oral oncologics increased 37% during the period studied, from $940 million in the first quarter of 2006 to $1.4 billion in the third quarter of 2011.
But the average quarterly use of these drugs in the same time period increased by only 10%.
This suggests price increases are a significant driver of spending trends.
Rena M. Conti, PhD, of the University of Chicago in Illinois, and her colleagues examined recent trends in spending and use of oral oncologics and disclosed their findings in Health Affairs.
Of the 47 drugs analyzed, most were targeted agents (30%), hormonal agents (26%), and alkylating agents (19%).
The researchers observed a significant increase in national spending on oral oncologics from 2006 to 2011—an estimated average quarterly increase of $20 million.
This was driven by brand-name, patent-protected drugs, but the use of these drugs climbed a comparatively small amount. Average quarterly spending of patent-protected drugs increased 61%, and average quarterly use increased 30% between 2006 and the period from September 2010 to September 2011.
“This is an exciting time, an era of breakthrough cancer drugs,” Dr Conti said. “Some of these medications have extended the lives of many people with certain types of cancer. However, spending on these brand-name oral oncologics is outstripping national spending on all pharmaceuticals and all medical care spending generally.”
The researchers also discovered that when oncologics lose patent protection, spending takes a nosedive. The use of newly off-patent drugs increased by 16%, but average quarterly spending on those drugs fell by 65%.
Another finding was that US spending on targeted anticancer agents increased from 35% of all oral cancer drugs in 2006 to nearly 60% in 2011.
Meanwhile, spending on hormonal agents decreased from 42% of total spending to 19%, spending on antimetabolites increased from 11% to 12%, and spending on alkylating agents decreased from 10% to 8%.