Editorial: Profiteering drug industry owes debt to the public

For patients with rare forms of cancer, the development of new drugs is good news. But the 5,600 Americans who deal with the rare cancer peripheral T-cell lymphoma on a yearly basis should be happy that a new drug to treat this condition, Folotyn, is now available. But they must wonder why their hope for a cure comes with a $30,000 a month price tag. This is about three times the cost of the majority of drugs used in chemotherapy. Currently, the manufacturers of Folotyn claim that because it is the only drug currently available to treat this condition, insurance companies will be obligated to pay for the treatment. But doctors, patients and critics agree that this is merely an even more expensive addition to a list of cancer-related drugs considered too pricey compared to the actual benefit to the patient.

The prices attached to prescription drugs have been under recent scrutiny, especially those used to treat cancer. In light of the impending health care overhaul, some studies suggest that pharmaceutical companies have been raising their prices across the board to maximize their profit while they can. With the stress, trauma and worry that encompasses families as they cope with their loved one's illness, the last thing on their mind should be financial worries.

If the government were prudent and truly acting for the people, it would consider sanctions to prevent a sector of the health care industry from being run in such a way that it detracts from patient care. It is understandable that health care has become a business given the technology available today, but ultimately the concern needs to be on how well improvements in medicine benefit the people who need them. Pharmaceutical companies must be reminded that they, just as the insurance companies and medical staff this nation criticizes and harangues, are a service industry. That a company believes it has the right to market a drug at the same price as a year of college speaks to just how broad and deep health care reform must be. If we as a society do not demand reform from all angles of the health care industry - from the doctors and drugs to the insurance companies - we will still be unsatisfied and unprotected at the times we need solace and care the most.