Phony patients selling pricey drugs—Part 1

'It’s happened to anyone who’s attended an open-mic session at an FDA advisory committee hearing. A queue of  “patients” materializes out of nowhere to testify, often in tears, about the crucial need for approval of a drug the public has often not even heard of. Sometimes the drug has not been approved by the FDA at all, but often it’s just not been approved for the use the patients wants—so it’s not reimbursable.

“When insurers balk at reimbursing patients for new prescription medications, these groups typically swing into action, rallying sufferers to appear before public and consumer panels, contact lawmakers, and provide media outlets a human face to attach to a cause,” writes Melissa Healy of the Los Angeles Times of the artificial grassroots groups, sometimes called Astroturf.'

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