Kevin Schulman, MD, MBA, Professor of Medicine (GIM), co-authored with Duke cardiologist Daniel B. Mark, MD, MPH, an editorial in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The publication is entitled PCSK9 Inhibitors and the Choice Between Innovation, Efficiency, and Affordability and was published August 22.
So, are the PCSK9 inhibitor drugs priced appropriately? According to the authors, that is "impossible to answer analytically due to the complex trade-offs involved between value, budget impact, and innovation." But they do talk about four very important points. Read about the controversy involving these new inhibitor drugs for lowering LDL-cholesterol in the full article here.
Citation: Mark DB, Schulman KA. PCSK9 Inhibitors and the Choice Between Innovation, Efficiency, and Affordability. JAMA. 2017;318(8):711-712.
Schulman is a renowned clinical researcher. His research interests include health services research and policy, including access to care and the impact of reimbursement and regulatory policies on clinical practice; health economics and economic evaluation in clinical research; and medical decision making, especially in patients with life-threatening conditions. He teaches courses in biotechnology, health policy, and health IT strategy.