Kaposi's sarcoma Market is limited and the incident have been decreasing in the US.
Protease inhibitors and agresive combination treatments are apparently the cause of this drop.
Also, the epidemiology of Kaposi's Sarcoma is strongly related to certain modes of transmission and certain virus infection (Epstein-Barr virus has been implicated).
This KS market will not be the indication for a big business, but an start in producing sales income.
But, the success of anti-Hiv drugs is now showing some signs of deterioration, will KS comeback? not nice but a brutal reality.
Of course, fusion inhibitors and integrase inhibitors and rybozimes
treatments are on the way to take on the failing proteases/retrovirase inhibitors combination. Complex battle indeed.
All this new biotechs products are very expensive, Epogen at a $10,000 per year treatment has not stop Amgen. Genentech has a cash cow: Growth hormone and $10,000 a year pricing. Dnase, Reopro, Insulin, Protease inhibitors, Surfactant ($700 a 10 cc vial)you name the succes of biotechs and they are very expensive, none a deterrence to business.
The Aids organizations and patient communities are very effective in getting treatments finance and their word of mouth work is the strongest of any disease model. Plus, the clinicians involved in decisions are a close tight group. Politically no organization has matched the Aids groups prowess. I will not count that if Panretin is perceived (not proven, just perceived )as helpful they will not embrace it. Ligand annnounced they will work with the patients so they could network their needs (so they can charge and get pay).
Long live America where the poorest get the treatment some millionares in other countries could not afford, and if they could they will buy Panretin. |
