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: LaBovick Injury Law Blog

Pre term Labor Drug, Makena: Spikes in Price for Pregnant Women

By LaBovick Law

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Preterm labor is a dangerous risk for any pregnant mom. Each year, it is estimated that one in eight babies is born prematurely, putting the infants at risk for a number of development difficulties. Fortunately, modern medicine has taken great strides to reduce the number of preterm births, with better screening procedures and more aggressive treatments for women who start labor before their 37th week.

One of the most promising developments for women who are at risk for preterm labor is the drug Makena. The drug has been in circulation for a number of years, with a variety of pharmaceutical companies offering variations of the drug. Makena has been shown effective in preventing preterm labor when women receive consistent injections throughout the last half of their pregnancy.

In the past, the drug has been made available to women at risk for about ten to twenty dollars per injection. Some women have received the injection as early as their sixteenth week of pregnancy in order to put off the likelihood of going into labor. To do this, Makena relies on progesterone, which is believed to help relax the walls of the uterus, thereby staving off early labor symptoms. Statistics show that women on progesterone see their risk of premature birth decrease from 55 percent to 36 percent.

Recently, steps were taken by Makena's manufacturer to secure the rights of the drug. KV Pharmaceuticals won exclusive rights, meaning that the other companies that have been offering compounded versions will no longer be able to sell their product. Many doctors and the March of Dimes supported this shift in order to ensure that the drug being offered was high quality and safe.

However, while also ensuring the quality of Makena, KV Pharmaceuticals will also be ensuring a nice profit on its new exclusive drug. The price of Makena will be raised to $1500 dollars per injection.

This price hike raised concern among doctors and health organizations, who noted that the high price tag may discourage women without as much money or less insurance from receiving the important drug. This could lead to more premature births, putting lives at risks and costing countless dollars.

KV Pharmaceuticals denies such possibilities, arguing instead that the price is worth the overall preventative benefit. Each premature birth costs about 51,000 dollars. KV also says that it has programs in place to help women who cannot afford the treatment.

Click on the following links for more on Makena approve by FDA for pre-term pregnant women -

NPR - Premie Drug spikes from $10.00 to $1500

A New Drug & The High Cost of Premature Births - Pharmalot

Full post as published by LaBovick Injury Law Blog on March 14, 2011 (boomark / email).