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The First US Gene Therapy Maker Innovates On Pricing And Reimbursement

 
• By Jessica Merrill

Spark priced the gene therapy Luxturna for inherited blindness at $850,000 for treatment of both eyes, below the $1m price some expected, and revealed pioneering market access plans. CEO Jeffrey Marrazzo and Harvard Pilgrim's Michael Sherman talked with Scrip about the details.

Blue eye detail

Spark Therapeutics Inc. will be the first drug maker to bring a gene therapy to the US market – Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl) for a rare inherited blindness – and now the company is pioneering new reimbursement approaches to pay for what will be an expensive one-time treatment.

The company revealed the price of Luxturna Jan. 3: $425,000 per eye for a total cost of $850,000 for most patients, following a lot of speculation that it could be the first drug in the US to cross the $1m threshold. Spark surprised by pricing the drug below what CEO Jeffrey Marrazzo had previously said would represent fair value, given the drug's anticipated long-term benefit for patients and their caregivers

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