You can’t put a price on life, but that isn’t stopping Swiss drugmaker Novartis from trying. The company just scored approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a new treatment that could save the lives of hundreds of babies born in the United States each year. That is, as long as their parents’ pockets are deep enough.
As NPR reports, the medication, called Zolgensma, treats a condition called spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic defect that causes a rapid deterioration in nerves that control muscles. Babies stricken with the condition lose the ability to control their limbs, and eventually weaken to the point where they can’t eat or even breathe. The drug that could save their lives with a one-time treatment is now priced at a jaw-dropping $2.125 million.
