b'Spring 2025 WordASSOCIATE MEMBER w w w. w m i m u t u a l . c o mNews TheSoaring COST of Life:How Big PHARMAis Pricing PatientsOut of Healthcare The latest outrage in the pharmaceutical industry has arrived.The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has once again approved a treatment with an astronomical price tag. This time, its a gene therapy called Lenmeldy, designed to treat a rare neurological disorder. The cost? A mind-blowing $4.25 million per dose! Thats right$4,250,000 for a single treatment. To put that in perspective, that amount could provide groceries for 850 years worth of meals for an average American family (accord-ing to USDA estimates). How is this even remotely acceptable?Many argue that cutting-edge therapies require significant investment, but lets be hon-est: these prices are not about innovationtheyre about unchecked corporate greed. Weve seen this pattern before. Remember the insulin pricing fiasco? Pharmaceutical companies charged diabetics exorbitant sums for a medication that has been around for over a century. Only after public pressure did Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi cap insulin prices at $35 out-of-pocketbut insurance companies still foot the full bill, driving up everyones premiums. This isnt generosity; its a strategic move to maintain their profit margins while shifting costs onto the broader healthcare system.62www.wpma.com / Spring 2025'