OPINION — For years, some of the most effective cancer and immune therapies came with a hidden cost: an afternoon in an infusion chair. That is changing. Scientists have found ways for patients to receive the same benefits of IV treatments in a fraction of the time with a quick shot under the skin. This is an incredible step in medical innovation, giving patients and the clinics that care for them more freedom and flexibility.
Sadly, a proposal pending at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services could put that progress at risk.
A bit of background: Under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, once a drug has been on the market for a set number of years, Medicare sets the price it pays for a small number of the costliest medicines. The clock starts at FDA approval.
