Enlarge / Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) (credit: Getty | Chip Somodevilla /)
In an unexpected move, Marathon Pharmaceuticals announced Monday that it is pausing the roll-out of its now FDA-approved drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy—which has an $ 89,000-per-year list price.
The announcement comes in the wake of intense outcry from patients, the public, and lawmakers over the drug’s eye-popping price, which Marathon announced last week.
The drug, deflazacort, is a steroid treatment that slows the progression of Duchenne, a rare, devastating neuromuscular disorder that leaves mostly boys unable to walk by their teens (it’s X-linked recessive). The disorder also shortens their lifespan to 25-30 years.
Read 11 remaining paragraphs | Comments
