A mom was overjoyed when she learned a drug could save her baby's life. Then she learned it cost $2 million.
CBS News••business
Key Points:
- Maisie, diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), faced a fatal prognosis before age 2 without treatment, but her insurance initially refused to cover the $2 million gene therapy Zolgensma, approved by the FDA in 2019.
- Gene therapies, often costing millions per single dose, are emerging as breakthrough treatments for rare and common diseases, but their high prices pose significant financial challenges for employer-sponsored insurance plans, many of which are self-insured and unprepared for these costs.
- Pharmaceutical companies cite the immense cost and complexity of developing and manufacturing gene therapies, which can take over a decade and nearly $3 billion, as reasons for the high prices, while hospital systems and employers struggle with coverage decisions that can
