By JONATHAN BROOMBERG
Earlier this year, a new breast-cancer drug shown to extend the life of women with advanced breast cancer was rejected by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) because of its extremely high cost.
The NHSE’s refusal to pay for this drug at £90 000 a patient, tens of thousands of pounds more expensive than alternative treatments, has sparked yet another furious debate in the UK over the responsibilities of governments and pharmaceutical companies in relation to high-cost drugs.
Is it fair to deny funding for this drug that could prolong a patient’s life? Should pharmaceutical companies not lower their prices despite their high investments? How can the NHS continue to expand treatment without becoming an impossible fiscal burden on the economy?
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