ICER validates two drug pricing choices

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review often has a dour view of drug costs: Most new drugs are, according to the think tank, rarely worth their price tag. But in a rare move, ICER’s reversing its decision on the value of two new migraine drugs.

It’s deemed that Allergan’s Ubrelvy and another migraine medicine from Biohaven Pharmaceuticals that has yet to be released should cost between $4,150 and $4,640 per year. That’s rather close to Ubrelvy’s actual list price of $4,900 — especially considering that a previous ICER analysis suggested the drugs should cost closer to $2,200 per year. Biohaven CEO Vlad Coric, for one, said in a statement that he felt “vindicated by the decision.”