Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc fka ARIA

[glass_half_full]

best drug first ... trickle down to general practice

I think someone has to demonstrate a positive effect on the "net income available to common shareholders" line item.

Until then, insurance will use the cheapest drug first (and not even that, if they think they can get away with it.)

I doubt it's possible, but if there were some way to offer a tiered pricing schedule, it would do something toward getting Pona into the front line -- if you want to use Pona only after you've tried other crap, then you pay more; if you use Pona from the start, then you pay less.

That would be a break-even life expectancy figure that actuaries could easily calculate, so people who get CML young would get Pona immediately. Those who were older would get Gleevec first.

JMH pipe dream.