Zaltrap,one of the newest cancer fighting drugs, came to market in August at a pricetag to doctors and hospitals of about $11,000 a month. Soon after, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York decided not to use the drug, citing the increased cost and similar effectiveness with a similar medicine, Avastin from Genentech as the reason. Sanofi, the drug’s manufacturer, announced that it was cutting the cost in half in response to the large cancer center’s decision. One can only wonder if this is the beginning of a new trend in medical treatment; considering the overall effectiveness with respect to the cost when other drugs perform just as well with a decreased pricetag.
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