In 2008, a box of 30 anti-inflammatory rectal suppositories that treats arthritis, called Indocin, had a price tag of $198. As of Oct. 1, the price of that same box was 52 times higher, totaling $10,350.
Why it matters: As federal lawmakers continue to waver on drug price reforms, Indocin is another example of how nothing prevents drug companies from hiking prices at will and selling them within a broken supply chain.
Driving the news: Indocin has changed ownership multiple times over the years, and the companies involved have controversial histories.
- Iroko Pharmaceuticals, the original owner of Indocin suppositories, consistently raised the drug’s price.
- Indocin’s list price (what uninsured patients would pay) was $198 for 30 suppositories in 2008. Iroko raised it to $2,550 by January 2018 after more than a dozen separate increases, according to Elsevier’s Gold Standard Drug Database.
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