A recent link from "Physician's Money Digest" is as follows. I find it at least disturbing that the article celebrates the profits that can be had in treating cancer, and how it can offer the information to physicians who might be willing to benefit from judicial investments. I contend that a logical sequel to this would be a listing of the 10 Most Profitable Mortuary Chains.
Here's the article:
10 Best-Selling Cancer Drugs
2011 sales: $3 billion
FDA approvals: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1997; rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, 2006; rheumatoid arthritis disease progression, 2008; chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 2010; Wegener's granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis, 2011.
Ka- CHING!!!!!!
Here's the article:
10 Best-Selling Cancer Drugs
Right now oncology is the main attraction, which makes sense considering ASCO is just two weeks away. But oncology drugs have always garnered a lot of attention because the diseases they treat are so scary for the patients, plus they can be quite costly. (italics mine)
But the good thing (for the pharmaceutical companies) is that these drugs aren’t facing generic competition like some other drugs have to. As a result, expensive and older treatments are contending with low-cost generics for sales, meaning they’re still bringing in a pretty penny for the company. (emphasis mine - again, what are we celebrating here? More effective treatments? Or more expensive - and thus, profitable - treatments for drug companies? And are any of these treatments more effective, or just more profitable? And isn't it just about the creepiest thing to consider success not by outcomes, or benefits to the patients, but as profit from sales of these drugs.... what a world, what a world... )
FiercePharma released a list of the top 10 best-selling cancer drugs based on how much they brought in U.S. sales over the last year. (My interruption again: they also have a nice discussion on whether drug company CEOs get paid enough!!! So far their newsletter is free, so go there and get the daily scoop on what PharmaLand is doing behind the curtain)....
But the good thing (for the pharmaceutical companies) is that these drugs aren’t facing generic competition like some other drugs have to. As a result, expensive and older treatments are contending with low-cost generics for sales, meaning they’re still bringing in a pretty penny for the company. (emphasis mine - again, what are we celebrating here? More effective treatments? Or more expensive - and thus, profitable - treatments for drug companies? And are any of these treatments more effective, or just more profitable? And isn't it just about the creepiest thing to consider success not by outcomes, or benefits to the patients, but as profit from sales of these drugs.... what a world, what a world... )
FiercePharma released a list of the top 10 best-selling cancer drugs based on how much they brought in U.S. sales over the last year. (My interruption again: they also have a nice discussion on whether drug company CEOs get paid enough!!! So far their newsletter is free, so go there and get the daily scoop on what PharmaLand is doing behind the curtain)....
(And look how the information is presented, like it's some Top Ten on the David Letterman Show)
10. Tarceva
Company: Genentech
2011 sales: $564.2 million
FDA approvals: Non-small cell lung cancer, 2004; pancreatic cancer, 2005; NSCLC maintenance therapy, 2010.
9. Xeloda
Company: Genentech
2011 sales: $647.6 million
FDA approvals: Metastatic colorectal cancer, 1998; metastatic breast cancer, 2002; adjuvant colon cancer therapy, 2005.
8. Velcade
Company: Millennium Pharmaceuticals, a unit of Takeda Pharmaceutical Industries, in partnership with Johnson & Johnson
2011 sales: $692.7 million
FDA approvals: Multiple myeloma, 2003; mantle cell lymphoma, 2006; first-line multiple myeloma, 2008.
7. Erbitux
Company: Eli Lilly, in partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb
2011 sales: $703.3 million
FDA approvals: EGFR-positive colorectal cancer, 2004; second line in head and neck cancer, 2006; first line in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer, 2011.
6. Alimta
Company: Eli Lilly
2011 sales: $1.04 billion
FDA approvals: Malignant pleural mesothelioma, 2004; non-small cell lung cancer, 2008; NSCLC maintenance therapy, 2009.
5. Eloxatin
Company: Sanofi
2011 sales: $1.2 billion
FDA approvals: Colorectal cancer, 2002; adjuvant use in colorectal cancer, 2004; new formulation, 2005.
4. Gleevec
Company: Novartis
2011 sales: $1.51 billion
FDA approvals: Chronic myelogenous leukemia, 2011; gastrointestinal stromal tumors, 2002; Philadelphia-chromosome positive acute lymphocytic leukemia, 2006; dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, 2006; certain myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases, 2006; hypereosinophilic syndrome/chronic eosinophilic leukemia, 2006; aggressive systemic mastocytosis, 2006; adjuvant GIST treatment, 2012.
3. Herceptin
Company: Genentech
2011 sales: $1.66 billion
FDA approvals: Metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, 1998; adjuvant in early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer, 2006; additional adjuvant approvals, 2008; HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer.
2. Avastin
Company: Genentech
2011 sales: $2.66 billion
FDA approvals: Metastatic colorectal cancer, 2004; non-small cell lung cancer, 2006; breast cancer, 2008 (revoked in 2011); kidney cancer, 2009; brain cancer, 2009.
Company: Genentech
2011 sales: $564.2 million
FDA approvals: Non-small cell lung cancer, 2004; pancreatic cancer, 2005; NSCLC maintenance therapy, 2010.
9. Xeloda
Company: Genentech
2011 sales: $647.6 million
FDA approvals: Metastatic colorectal cancer, 1998; metastatic breast cancer, 2002; adjuvant colon cancer therapy, 2005.
8. Velcade
Company: Millennium Pharmaceuticals, a unit of Takeda Pharmaceutical Industries, in partnership with Johnson & Johnson
2011 sales: $692.7 million
FDA approvals: Multiple myeloma, 2003; mantle cell lymphoma, 2006; first-line multiple myeloma, 2008.
7. Erbitux
Company: Eli Lilly, in partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb
2011 sales: $703.3 million
FDA approvals: EGFR-positive colorectal cancer, 2004; second line in head and neck cancer, 2006; first line in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer, 2011.
6. Alimta
Company: Eli Lilly
2011 sales: $1.04 billion
FDA approvals: Malignant pleural mesothelioma, 2004; non-small cell lung cancer, 2008; NSCLC maintenance therapy, 2009.
5. Eloxatin
Company: Sanofi
2011 sales: $1.2 billion
FDA approvals: Colorectal cancer, 2002; adjuvant use in colorectal cancer, 2004; new formulation, 2005.
4. Gleevec
Company: Novartis
2011 sales: $1.51 billion
FDA approvals: Chronic myelogenous leukemia, 2011; gastrointestinal stromal tumors, 2002; Philadelphia-chromosome positive acute lymphocytic leukemia, 2006; dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, 2006; certain myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases, 2006; hypereosinophilic syndrome/chronic eosinophilic leukemia, 2006; aggressive systemic mastocytosis, 2006; adjuvant GIST treatment, 2012.
3. Herceptin
Company: Genentech
2011 sales: $1.66 billion
FDA approvals: Metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, 1998; adjuvant in early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer, 2006; additional adjuvant approvals, 2008; HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer.
2. Avastin
Company: Genentech
2011 sales: $2.66 billion
FDA approvals: Metastatic colorectal cancer, 2004; non-small cell lung cancer, 2006; breast cancer, 2008 (revoked in 2011); kidney cancer, 2009; brain cancer, 2009.
AND HERE'S NUMBER ONE - The drumroll, please!!!!
1. Rituxan
Company: Genentech1. Rituxan
2011 sales: $3 billion
FDA approvals: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1997; rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, 2006; rheumatoid arthritis disease progression, 2008; chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 2010; Wegener's granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis, 2011.
Ka- CHING!!!!!!
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