Insurers shun new biologics for psoriasis

The New York Times has an article on the way insurers are squeezing members to stick with older, cheaper psoriasis drugs rather than allow them to switch to one of the newer biologics that have hit the market from Genentech, Biogen Idec and Amgen. One analyst estimates that those efforts are the primary reason why a potential market of 1.1 million patients has been limited to 60,000. A dermatologist in New York has taken his efforts on behalf of patients to the attorney general's office and another notes that the struggle over biologics costs him time and money. One reason why insurers are proving so difficult is that psoriasis is often considered a cosmetic problem, even though just about any dermatologist would tell you that it's a serious health issue. The real culprit: Insurers don't want to pay $10,000 to $35,000 a year for the biologics. The pressure on psoriasis biologics represents a broader kickback against the high cost of biotech drugs. Expect the pharma managers to create high standards on efficacy when the price tag is steep.

- read the article from The New York Times