Makena, which is manufactured by KV Pharmaceutical of St. Louis, won FDA approval in February. The drug must be injected every week for approximately 20 weeks, putting the total cost at $30,000 per at-risk pregnancy. According to the report, the same compound has been available for years for only $10 or $20 per shot.
KV Pharmaceutical says the price is reasonable because the company is spending $200 million to develop the drug and conduct follow-up studies demanded by the FDA. Critics have responded saying the main study used to demonstrate Makena’s effectiveness was a $5 million project funded by taxpayers and provided through the National Institutes of Health.
Read the Nashua Telegraph report on Makena.
Read more on supplies:
–Virginia Hospitals Adapt to Drug Shortages
–Drug Shortages Cost Providers $200M Annually, Endanger Patient Safety
