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At $475,000, new cancer drug raises thorny questions about drug pricing — and value

Pricing for the Novartis drug, which treats an aggressive form of childhood leukemia, has stirred the heated national debate over prescription drug costs.

A first-of-its-kind cancer treatment is generating unbridled excitement — but also underscoring intense concerns over pricing and value.

The drug, which is known as a CAR-T therapy, is expected to dramatically raise the chance of survival for children who have an aggressive form of leukemia and fail to respond to other treatments.

The $475,000 price tag is much and might disappoint some investors who hoped for a premium on such a complex drug. But it’s still causing anxiety among patients. Mindful of the hit its reputation could take, Novartis is

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