Healthcare Challenges & High-Cost Genetic Therapies - A new class of high-tech medicines, costing millions of dollars for a single dose, can replace defective genes and save lives, but American healthcare struggles to pay for them [1] - There are over 300 high-cost genetic therapies in clinical trials, some for diseases suffered by millions, potentially overwhelming the employer-sponsored insurance system [3] - Self-insured companies, covering about two-thirds of the insured in America, face difficult financial decisions regarding covering these expensive drugs [3] - Gene therapies are breaking records for the most expensive drugs ever [3] Drug Development & Pricing - One dose of Zulenma costs $2 million [3] - One dose of Levitus costs $2 million [3] - It took $3 billion to create Levitus [9] - It takes nearly $3 billion on average to develop a therapy, with a near-zero probability of success at the beginning [9][10] - Drug development takes more than 10 years on average [9] Potential Solutions & Perspectives - Streamlined federal regulations could reduce the cost of therapies [9] - Government support and negotiated prices are needed to absorb the costs of these treatments [14] - Society needs to recognize the need to act jointly to absorb the costs of new miraculous and expensive modes of treatment [14]