Progesterone caproate injections have been used to reduce the likelihood of premature births in at-risk pregnant women for years. Up until now, the drug was custom-compounded by wholesale and specialist pharmacies, legally, but without federal approval. These injections cost between $5 and $15 a dose and were regularly reimbursed by insurance companies and Medicaid. Last month, the FDA announced their approval of a commercially produced version of the compound, to be marketed under the brand name Makena by a company called KV Pharmaceuticals. No stranger to controversy and trouble, KV barely survived a rash round of layoffs and wrongful termination lawsuits. Their former chief executive now faces criminal charges surrounding the company's failure to notify the FDA that they were producing oversized morphine tablets. (He could also do for a shave, it appears.) Now, KV has announced that the new drug will be available at a cost of $1,500 per dose, bringing the total pregnancy term cost of treatment to $25,000-$30,000, from its former cost of $250-$300, a 100-fold increase—but it gets worse... [more inside]
posted by disillusioned on Mar 9, 2011 - 63 comments

Fetuses may be able to feel pain as early as 20 weeks gestation. "Members of the Medical Research Council's (MRC) expert group on fetal pain, led by Professor Eve Johnstone of Edinburgh University, say the finding could have important implications for the treatment of thousands of very premature infants born every year." It frankly makes my pro-choice conscience squirm a little, too.
posted by RylandDotNet on Aug 30, 2001 - 42 comments