Why did Biogen cut Aduhelm's price in half?
Poor uptake forced a cut from $56,000 to $28,200 in December 2021 — one of the few voluntary branded list-price reductions in the industry, though the new price still far exceeded ICER's recommended range.
Biogen launched Aduhelm at $56,000 a year, and uptake was poor. In December 2021 it cut the annual price for an average-weight patient to $28,200, effective January 1, 2022, and at the same time announced plans to cut $500 million in annual costs, a signal of likely layoffs. Drugmakers rarely cut list prices voluntarily.
The CEO at the time, Michel Vounatsos, said too many patients were not being offered Aduhelm due to financial considerations and progressing beyond the point where they could benefit. The cut came as Medicare was preparing its national coverage decision, and a patient group noted that if cost had been a factor for Medicare, it should now be off the table. Even so, the new price remained far above ICER's recommended $2,500 to $8,000 range.