At present, most patients take three capsules of Imbruvica daily at an annual cost of $148,000. Janssen and Pharmacyclics planned to discontinue the original pill and launch a once-daily tablet in four dosages, which would cost $400 each, or three times the price of the original pill.
Janssen and Pharmacyclics decided to keep the original version of Imbruvica on the market after facing scrutiny from oncologists, who said the move would raise healthcare costs for patients who only require one or two pills a day. In addition, recent early clinical trial evidence suggests a smaller dose of Imbruvica may be effective in patients with blood cancer.
“We have received feedback regarding the availability of Imbruvica capsules, and as a result will continue to offer 140 milligram Imbruvica capsules as an option, in addition to our one pill, once-a-day tablet,” Pharmacyclics, a subsidiary of AbbVie, said in a statement on its website.
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