New Class of Cancer Drugs (Immunotherapies) to Cost Big Money

Well this is going to be a serious burden on our healthcare system but some of these drugs are super effective and might be life savers so they would certainly be worth it.

Citigroup analysts expect such "immunotherapies" to cost around $110,000 in the United States for a year's worth of treatment and $80,000 in the rest of the world, generating sales of $35 billion a year in the next 10 years. That would represent a hefty proportion of total oncology drug sales, which research firm IMS Health has forecast reaching $88 billion by 2016.

Medicines already account for a higher percentage of oncology spending than for other diseases, but healthcare experts see an opportunity if more effective drugs will help reduce hospitalizations and other costs.

Well, there has to be some kind of savings from having someone pop some pills (or get this medicine intravenously) instead of suffering through weeks of chemotherapy. Still $100K is quite a bit of money but maybe the American Cancer Society can give patients some kind of monthly payment plan to help people afford the costs. Kind of a cancer drug installment agreement.