Consequences of SCOTUS Lexmark decision on parallel drug imports: exclusive interview with Professor Abbott

[Michel]

@Sam

Northwest Pharmacy that told me that

Weird: they don’t appear to sell insulin anymore. And their insulin prices are unbelievable high.

[Michel]

We researched sources and prices for Canada insulin:

Canada insulin: price comparisons

The SCOTUS Lexmark decision on 05/30/2017 appears to make import of FDA-approved drugs legal under certain conditions that are still a bit unclear. On that basis, we started researching sources and costs for Canadian insulin. This is what we found, with numbers we looked up over the past few days: [image] What I would choose If I had to choose, I would buy Basaglar for basal, and Novolog pens or vials, both from Mark’s Marine Pharmacy. Mark’s Marine Pharmacy is a brick-and-mortar pharmacy i…

[MaryPat]

@Michel

FA: If an operator like Costco or Walmart steps in, you could see a meaningful decline in US prescription drug prices, but not “so dramatic”. The reason is that parallel imports are products (like drugs) initially put on a foreign market with the consent of the patent owner, and then exported (e.g., to the United States). Pharmaceutical originators will not expand overseas supplies to fill new demand for parallel imports in the United States.

It is really, really nice of him to reply to our questions.

The way I read this excellent analysis, I don’t see him expecting big movement in price here.

So, my conclusion is that the real difference will be if are able to find a way to import it legally in online orders.

For sure, it is already a much more affordable manner to get insulin, legal or not, as long as the FDA tolerates 3 months of prescription as they do today. Poor Shane Boyle would be alive: he needed $750 to pay for his insulin. Here he would have been able to get it for about $200.

I can’t get his story out of my head. Shame on us for letting this happen.

[Millz]

@Michel Thank you for coordinating this, it’s interesting and insightful.

FA: I expect the originator industry will be in Congress lobbying for rules to block imports of prescription drugs from outside the United States. This will run up directly against legislation that has been introduced to authorize such importation.

[Sam]

I don’t necessarily expect to see much of any change in list prices here either… because essentially they’re just a false number that has no meaning, artificially created to keep people dependent on insurance coverage with little or no basis in financial reality… perhaps we might see more discount card type programs for individual drugs etc if a significant share starts being purchased overseas