FDA Approves First RNA Inhibitor, Company Touts Value-Based Arrangements

FDA approved Friday (Aug. 10) a first-of-its-kind infusion drug, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals' Onpattro, which treats a rare disease by silencing a portion of a patient’s genes. While the therapy will cost on average $450,000, the company is holding up its progress negotiating value-based agreements, which would refund payers when the treatment doesn't work. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb touted the potential of this new class of drugs, known as small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) treatments, in a press release announcing the approval...