DR. FUDMAN is in private practice in Austin, Texas. He reports that he has no conflicts of interest. The price of colchicine is increasing by 50-fold, from about $0.10 per tablet to $5 per tablet, unless physicians and patients can convince the Food and Drug Administration to allow the colchicine made by generic manufacturers to stay on the market. A twice-daily dose of colchicine will increase from $6/month to $300/month because one company has taken advantage of FDA rules and the orphan drug law to the detriment of patients. Colchicine has technically been an “unapproved drug” rather than a “generic...
