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Costs for Orally Administered Cancer Drugs Up Since 2000

Gleevec shows one of the largest price increases

FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Prices of orally administered cancer medications in the United States have risen sharply since 2000, according to a study published online April 28 in JAMA Oncology.

The average cost of a new orally administered cancer medication introduced in 2000 was about $1,869 a month, compared with $11,325 a month for one approved in 2014, about six times higher, United Press International reported.

Gleevec had one of the largest price increases during that time, rising about 7.5 percent a year and increasing from $3,346 to $8,479 a month, according to the University of North Carolina researchers.

The researchers said the escalating prices have occurred along with health insurance changes making patients bear more of the cost and potentially making treatment unaffordable for some, UPI reported.

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