Turing promises Daraprim repricing announcement before 2016

Although the price of Daraprim remains unchanged since its recent increase, Turing Pharmaceuticals has told the HIV Medicine Association and other groups that it will announce plans to reprice the treatment before the end of the year, according to a statement from the health organization.

Public focus shifted to Turing after the price of the recently acquired Daraprim (pyrimethamine) jumped from $13.50 per tablet to $750 per tablet in August, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA). Pyrimethamine is the FDA-recommended treatment for toxoplasmosis, which often threatens patients with compromised immune systems.

Turing Pharmaceuticals executives, including CEO Martin Shkreli, met with several health organizations this week to discuss the price increase and the company’s previous commitment to lowering the price of the generic drug, according to the HIVMA statement. While no changes have yet been made, HIVMA said it was “encouraged” by Turing’s plans to announce a repricing structure by the end of this year.

“While complete details of these programs have yet to be made public, we need full transparency on eligibility and information on how to access these programs for providers and patients as soon as possible,” HIVMA wrote in the statement. “Meanwhile, we remain seriously concerned about the exorbitant price hike and its impact on patient care and the health system.”

Since increasing the price of pyrimethamine, an open letter signed by 164 health organizations and individuals has requested that Turing increase access to the treatment. They wrote that pyrimethamine’s current classification as a “specialty drug” and a controlled distribution system requiring purchase through Walgreen’s Specialty Pharmacy “create high and unreasonable hurdles” for those who need the medication.

“The unjustifiable actions taken to leverage the value of an effective 70-year-old medication are jeopardizing the health of individuals with a serious, life-threatening condition,” the organizations wrote. “The individuals do not have the luxury of time to wait for promised new treatments — which also will likely be priced out of reach.”

The increase also prompted action from one of Turing’s competitors, Imprimis Pharmaceuticals. In a recent press release, Imprimis announced its customizable compounded formulation of pyrimethamine and leucovorin has been made available for prescription at approximately $1 per pill. However, the formulation is not approved by the FDA for recommended use and is only to be prescribed to individually identified patients consistent with federal and state compounded drug formulation laws.

“Recent generic drug price increases have made us concerned and caused us to take positive action to address an opportunity to help a needy patient population,” Mark L. Baum, JD, CEO of Imprimis, said in the release. “While we respect Turing’s right to charge patients and insurance companies whatever it believes is appropriate, there may be more cost-effective compounded options for medications, such as Daraprim, for patients, physicians, insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers to consider.”