Myth Versus Reality: Promoting A Pricey Gout Pill
January 6, 2012
Pharmalot
By Ed Silverman
Nearly three years ago, the FDA approved a version of colchicine --a cheap, decades-old treatment for gout--and a controversy quickly ensued. The new med won approval under the Orphan Drug Act, which means the manufacturer received seven years of marketing exclusivity. And the FDA later forced other manufacturers to halt marketing on the grounds their own pills were never approved (see this).
The real ruckus, however, arose when URL Pharma began selling its newly approved Colcrys for about $5 a pill, compared with just pennies for the older colchichine. Some rheumatologists complained on an online message board, prompting the drugmaker to send letters to some docs about the “potential risks and liability” of using unapproved versions (read here). Later, Herb Kohl, who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and three members of the House, began a probe (look here). Read more