[The cost of cytokines]

The use of cytokines (interferons, interleukin-2, growth factors) is in full development, but the new drugs issued from biotechnology are costly. In order to control consumption, these products are made available only to hospital pharmacists, and they are paid by the prescribing establishments from global funds. This results in an ever growing financial burden on the hospital pharmaceutical budget. Physicians will have to conciliate 2 objectives: make the patients benefit from the new drugs, and control the expenses by using these drugs only when necessary.