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Increased Availability of Human Growth Hormone: A Challenge for Health Economics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2009

Kerstin Albertsson-Wikland
Affiliation:
University of Göteborg, Sweden
Agne Larsson
Affiliation:
University of Uppsala, Sweden

Extract

Human growth hormone (GH) has until recently been prepared commercially from pituitary glands collected at autopsy. Availability has been limited and cost high, so the indications for GH treatment have had to be “tight.” Owing to recent development in hybrid DNA technology, the availability of GH has increased dramatically. At the same time, the manufacturers have maintained constant prices, so that treatment costs continue to influence decision making about its use. This rapid transition has generated an interesting change of strategy, which is outlined in this review.

Type
Emerging Technology
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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