Verona Pharma's inhaled COPD therapy to be priced at $2,950 per month (updated)

Verona Pharma

27/06/2024 14:33

(Adds details on availability in paragraph 6 and background
throughout)
       June 27 (Reuters) - Verona Pharma's  VRNA.O  therapy for
treating a chronic lung disease will be sold in the U.S. at a
wholesale price of $2,950 per month, the U.K.-based company said
on a conference call on Thursday.
    The U.S. health regulator's assent on Wednesday for the
therapy, branded as Ohtuvayre, provides a new inhaled
non-steroidal treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease.
    COPD, which causes restricted airflow and breathing
problems, affects nearly 16 million Americans and is the sixth
leading cause of death in the country, according to government
data.
    Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, an influential
non-profit that evaluates clinical trials and drug prices, in
its report dated May-end said the therapy would meet commonly
used cost-effectiveness thresholds at an annual price between
$7,500 and $12,700.
    Ohtuvayre is approved as an add-on maintenance treatment
with current COPD therapies and can also be prescribed as a
monotherapy.
    Verona plans to have around 100 sales representatives reach
out to about 15,000 physicians, and expects the therapy to be
available in the third quarter.

 (Reporting by Pratik Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak
Dasgupta)
 ((Pratik.Jain@thomsonreuters.com))