Shades of Turing: the cost of a 40-year-old cancer drug, lomustine, has jumped 1,400% in just 4 years, after the drug was obtained from Bristol-Myers Squibb by the Miami start-up NextSource Biotechnology, according to a report in .
In 2013, when NextSource began production of lomustine, the price was $50 per capsule. After nine price increases, a capsule now costs $768. There is no generic version of the drug, despite its being off patent. The story is reminiscent of Turing Pharmaceuticals's acquisition of Daraprim, another narrow-niche drug with no generic competition that saw an enormous price hike.
NextSource's chief executive says the price is based on costs of development, regulatory fees, and the potential benefit to patients.