Revolution Medicines Sets $480,000 Price for Rasonque as Pancreatic Cancer Pill Doubles Survival
Updated
Updated · The Seattle Times · Sep 6
Revolution Medicines Sets $480,000 Price for Rasonque as Pancreatic Cancer Pill Doubles Survival
3 articles · Updated · The Seattle Times · Sep 6
Summary
$480,000 a year — about $663 a tablet — is the sticker price Revolution Medicines set for newly approved pancreatic cancer drug Rasonque, its first marketed product.
13.2 months versus 6.7 months: in the key trial, Rasonque extended median survival against chemotherapy in advanced pancreatic cancer patients with few remaining options, helping explain why experts expect broad coverage.
Most plans are still likely to restrict use to the approved trial population and may require prior authorization, creating eligibility fights even as Revolution offers temporary free supply during insurance delays.
Medicare patients should be largely shielded by the Inflation Reduction Act's out-of-pocket cap — rising to $2,400 next year — versus more than $25,000 annually before the law, while commercially insured patients can still face deductibles above $6,000.
Rasonque arrives as ultra-high oncology prices become routine: nine cancer drugs launched above $400,000 a year in 2024, and discounts on new cancer medicines typically remain only slightly below list price.