Are taxpayers prepared to pay any sum for an AIDS or cancer drug, no matter how high the price and how small the incremental benefit in years of life saved?

FORBES: A Price on Your Head

On the other hand, an effective muscular dystrophy drug is likely to support a very high price.

FORBES: Sarepta Outperformed Biotechs In August Due To Muscular Dystrophy Drug

Pricing information was not immediately available, but given the restricted use and small population of patients who might use the drug, the price is likely to be high.

FORBES: AstraZeneca's Victory Highlights Difficulty Of Cancer Drug Development

Each week seems to bring an announcement of a new drug, device or high-end treatment - with developed-world price tags to match.

CNN: HOSPITALS IN FLUX

If the 301012 also goes on to treat garden variety high cholesterol, Isis may need to dramatically cut the price of the drug.

FORBES: Cholesterol Comeback

According to Stephen Rosenfeld, a lawyer with the Prescription Access Litigation Project, which has launched a class-action suit against AstraZeneca and Barr Laboratories over Tamoxifen, an anti-cancer drug, delays to generic drugs mean that 42m Americans who lack health insurance pay a high price, and may not get essential medicines at all.

ECONOMIST: Prescription drugs