A government panel on Wednesday approved coverage of a new therapy to treat leukemia and other hematologic cancers, which currently costs ¥33.49 million ($305,000), under national health insurance, in a move that would significantly ease the burden on patients.
The drug Kymriah will be produced and sold by Novartis Pharma KK, a Tokyo-based unit of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG, and is expected to carry the highest price tag of any single drug in Japan. Coverage is set to be available from May 22.
But the decision by the health ministry panel may raise concerns about the impact on the country's ballooning medical care costs as Japan's population rapidly grays.