Published Feb 16, 2006
It has been said that you can't put a price on life. But apparently, drug maker Genentech can.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that the drug Avastin, which is produced by Genentech and is already being used in the treatment of colon cancer, could extend the lives of hundreds of thousands of people when used to treat other cancers - but at a hefty price.
According to the report, the drug would cost patients about $100,000 a year; not because of the drug's cost of production, but, as a company executive said, because of the inherent value of sustaining life.