Valeant leads the way in steep price increase of skin drugs

New York

TWO drugs sold by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International to treat cancer-related skin conditions increased in price by about 1,700 per cent over the last six years, according to a newly published survey that found big increases in the cost of dermatology drugs across the board.

Overall, retail prices of 19 brand-name dermatology drugs from various manufacturers, for acne, infections and other conditions, quintupled from 2009 to this year. Even some generic drugs almost quadrupled in price, according to the study, which was published on Wednesday by the journal JAMA Dermatology.