Biotech Values

[ghmm]

Interesting article in the August 3 issue of NEJM, "Access before Approval — A Right to Take Experimental Drugs?"
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/5/437?query=TOC

I believe a couple years back a (rich) patient had filed a lawsuit against InterMune attempting to force them to sell him Perfinidone which was (and still is) in clinical trials to treat Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (a life threatening lung disease). I believe the suit was later drop and he may have found a source for it (I am guessing he got into the Japanese shionogi trial).

Wonder what implications this may have on some of the more lifethreating diseases without adequate treatment and if the FDA will be under more pressure to streamline some sort of limited approval.