Why A Pill That's 4 Cents In Tanzania Costs Up To $400 In The U.S.

"Two pills to wipe out hookworm could cost you four cents. Or $400."

"It just depends where you live."

"The four cents is in Tanzania. That'll cover the two pills it takes to knock out the intestinal parasite. But in the United States, where hookworm has reemerged, the price for two 200 mg tablets of albendazole can cost as much as $400."

"The pill will put an end to the problems hookworm can cause, such as anemia and protein deficiency as well as stunting growth in children."

"And it's not just a problem with the anti-hookworm pill. Drugs for diseases of the developing world, in particular the so-called "neglected tropical diseases" like hookworm and leishmaniasis, are enormously more expensive in the United States than in the developing world."

"'There really is no good reason for this price,' says Dr. Jonathan Alpern of the albendazole price tag. Alpern works for the HealthPartners Institute, the research division of a health-care organization in Minnesota."