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The introduction of Lenmeldy has sparked debates over its justification as the world’s most expensive medicine. This groundbreaking gene therapy involves using the patient’s own stem cells to deliver a functional gene, providing a potential cure for metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD).
A sign for the Food And Drug Administration is seen outside of the headquarters on July 20, 2020, in White Oak, Maryland. (Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)
Lenmeldy’s Revolutionary Treatment
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for a therapy targeting the genetic disorder known as MLD. With only about 40 cases reported annually in the US, MLD is a rare condition characterized its severity, often proving fatal before affected children reach the age of seven.
Orchard Therapeutics, the therapy’s manufacturer, revealed that the treatment would come with a staggering price tag of $4.25 million, rendering it the most expensive medication globally.
The announcement has ignited a contentious discussion regarding the justifiability of such a hefty price, raising concerns about accessibility for patients and their families.
In the realm of genetic disorders, MLD poses a significant challenge. Unlike many conditions, it remains hidden during a child’s early stages of life. However, there’s a silent struggle because the body lacks an essential enzyme needed to break down fatty substances known as sulfatides.
Without this enzyme, sulfatides build up and harm the nerves as time passes. What starts as a small problem becomes big, affecting movement and brain activity.
Around the age of two, usually when kids are active and curious, signs of MLD begin to show. The condition progresses rapidly, leading to a state where the child can’t recover.
Lenmeldy offers a novel approach to treating MLD. It involves a gene therapy method that extracts stem cells from individuals diagnosed with MLD. These cells are then exposed to a genetically modified virus, which carries copies of crucial genes responsible for producing the enzyme necessary to break down sulfatides.
After the virus introduces these genes into the stem cells, they are reintroduced into the patient’s body. Once inside, these cells begin producing the vital enzyme and eventually settle in the bone marrow, where they continue generating more enzyme-producing cells.
Patients who underwent this innovative treatment under Orchard’s care have been under observation for more than 12 years, during which they have exhibited a remarkable improvement in their condition, leading lives akin to their unaffected peers.
Justifying Lenmeldy’s Price Tag
Firms like Orchard argue that the hefty price tags associated with these treatments reflect their transformative impact. A single therapy session can eliminate the ailment entirely, sparing patients from lifelong medication regimens and vastly enhancing their well-being.
However, the limited pool of prospective patients necessitates that the expenses incurred in researching, rigorously testing, and manufacturing these therapies be recuperated from a relatively small number of recipients, thus driving up the costs.
Failure to recover these expenses could ruin companies financially, diminishing future prospects for other rare diseases. Patients are not directly responsible for footing the entire bill for these treatments, as private or public healthcare systems often cover the costs.
Governments closely monitor drug advancements to anticipate potential spikes in healthcare expenditure upon the drug’s availability. With a price tag exceeding $4 million per treatment, adopting gene therapies poses a substantial financial burden for healthcare systems.
However, healthcare coverage is accessible to only four out of ten children in the US, leaving a considerable segment unable to afford the astronomical costs of life-saving treatments, even when they become accessible.
