Cost for Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug quadruples for Ontario man

A man in Ontario said the cost of Deflazacort, a medication he regularly takes for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, rose dramatically and without warning. He found out when he got his latest prescription filled and saw that the cost of a four-month supply had jumped from $187 to $666. “I couldn’t believe it. I need to take this medication to help my muscles be able to work a bit better and it has almost quadrupled in price,” Arun Crishanth, who lives in Aurora, Ont., told CTV News. It’s not covered by the provincial health plan. Pharmasave told him that the increase was because a new drug company was manufacturing the medication. The pharmacy told CTV News that “Pharmacy pricing in Canada is linked to the cost to purchase the medication from the manufacturer or distributor. The increased pricing experienced by pharmacies (and thus also to patients) is due to manufacturer and distributor changes.” Read: NDP attempts to prod Liberals into action on pharmacare by tabling its own bill Muscular Dystrophy Canada confirmed that the increase was thanks to the fact that a new European manufacturer was making the drug, which added more shipping costs as well. “Many individuals and their families have been advised by their doctors that Deflazacort is the most suitable option due to its minimal side effects, with some individuals having been on this treatment for 15 years or more," said Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s CEO, Stacey Lintern, in a statement. "However, the significant increase in price will have detrimental effects on these individuals and their families.” Crishanth says he’s been taking the drug since he was 10 years old. He’s now 21. “Obviously, they should not be able to increase prices like that. It clearly isn’t because of inflation, this is just to make some money,” he said. “I think it's ridiculous that that can happen.” Read: Documents reveal what happened inside the discord at Canada's drug price regulator

Cost for Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug quadruples for Ontario man

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