The Podcast by KevinMD Corporate greed and medical complicity fueled a $250,000 drug
Jan 2, 2026
Bharat Desai, an internal medicine and pulmonary physician, dives into the shocking story behind Acthar Gel, a drug priced at $250,000. He reveals how pharmaceutical companies exploit regulatory loopholes, reclassifying an outdated product while monopolizing the market. Desai critiques the complicity of medical professionals accepting industry funding, promoting a drug with weak evidence over better alternatives like prednisone. The conversation urges a reevaluation of morality in pricing and the need for critical thinking in prescribing practices.
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Old Hormone Rebranded As Biologic
- Acthar Gel is an old ACTH pituitary extract that fell out of use after synthetic steroids arrived in the 1980s.
- A company reclassified it as a biologic and used regulatory loopholes to eliminate competition and raise the price dramatically.
Shocking Prescription Triggered Investigation
- Bharat Desai's CEO flagged a prescription that cost $250,000 and he was shocked to learn it was for Acthar Gel.
- He investigated and found corporate practices and bought key opinion leaders kept the overpriced drug in use.
Bought Leaders Shape Clinical Practice
- Desai calls the dynamic 'the shepherds were bought and the flocks followed' to describe how few opinion leaders influence wide practice.
- He argues this reflects a broader intellectual surrender in medicine to industry-driven narratives.