Inside STAT: Should patients get a say in deciding whether a drug is cost-effective?  

A seemingly perpetual question for pharma companies and patients alike is whether patients’ lived experiences ought to count toward assessing the cost-effectiveness of a drug. That question was once again brought to the forefront at a recent meeting of the nonprofit Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, which assesses a drug’s worth based on a number of factors, including value to patients. But asking a patient to assess value often takes a huge emotional toll, especially since the most expensive drugs are also for patients who have few other treatment options. “How am I supposed to make some comment on the value of my son’s life?” asked Mindy Leffler, a parent of a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, at the meeting. STAT’s Kate Sheridan has more here.