Pharma Blog Watch

Pediatric Study Costs on the Rise (Pharmalot)
In his blog, Ed Silverman discusses a Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development study on pediatric clinical trials showing that while the costs of the trials has increased, they have resulted in more and better drugs for children. "The Tufts study marks the second time in recent weeks that researchers with industry ties have advocated for maintaining the status quo."

The topic "is of interest because the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act, which grants an extra six months of patent exclusivity in exchange for pediatric studies, is up for renewal in October," he writes. "Supporters contend the law yields important dosing and safety information for a population that would, otherwise, not have access to certain medicines. Critics say the law is a boondoggle that allows drugmakers, at relatively low cost, to ring the register a while longer and chalk up big profits, at least on best-selling drugs."