America’s 10 priciest prescription drugs by price and by quantity

[ad_1] On the heels of President Donald Trump’s Monday announcement of an govt order that can slash prescription drug prices within the U.S., the highlight is on present prices and the way a lot Individuals might save.

The president’s order requires "most favored nations drug pricing" — which suggests "the bottom worth paid for a drug in different developed nations, that's the worth that Individuals can pay," he stated.

"Some prescription drug and pharmaceutical costs can be lowered virtually instantly by 50 to 80 to 90%," Trump stated.

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Katy Dubinsky, a New York pharmacist and founder and CEO of Vitalize, applauded the transfer to cut back prescription costs, noting that Trump’s order tackles a long-standing drawback.

"However this won't be easy to perform," she informed Fox Information Digital.

Following President Trump’s announcement of an govt order that can slash prescription drug costs within the U.S., the highlight is on present prices and the way a lot Individuals might save. (iStock)

"The chief order does not scale back prices instantly," she stated. "It directs authorities businesses to begin drafting the principles, which can take months."

Listed below are the 5 most costly pharmaceuticals within the U.S. by worth — adopted by 5 by quantity.

5 most costly pharmaceuticals within the US Dubinsky detailed a number of the most costly pharmaceuticals within the nation at this time and what situations they deal with.

1. Lenmeldy (atidarsagene autotemcel) by Orchard Therapeutics – $4.25 million

This medicine is used to deal with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a uncommon genetic dysfunction that damages the nervous system , Dubinsky stated.

"It's given as soon as and is meant to cease or decelerate the illness in younger children," she famous.

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2. Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec-drlb) by CSL Behring – $3.5 million

This medicine is prescribed for folks with hemophilia B, a bleeding dysfunction.

"This one-time therapy helps the physique make its personal clotting issue, so sufferers don’t want common infusions," stated Dubinsky.

3. Elevidys (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl) by Sarepta Therapeutics – $3.2 million

This prescription medicine, supposed for young boys , treats Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a situation that weakens muscle groups over time.

"It goals to decelerate how briskly the illness progresses," Dubinsky stated.

The president’s order requires "most favored nations drug pricing," which suggests "the bottom worth paid for a drug in different developed nations, that's the worth that Individuals can pay." (iStock)

4. Skysona (elivaldogene autotemcel) by Bluebird Bio – $3 million

"This medicine is used for cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), a critical brain disease in boys," stated Dubinsky. "This remedy tries to gradual the harm earlier than signs worsen."

5. Zynteglo (betibeglogene autotemcel) by Bluebird Bio – $2.8 million

Zynteglo is for beta-thalassemia, a blood situation that often requires common transfusions.

"Some prescription drug and pharmaceutical costs can be lowered virtually instantly by 50 to 80 to 90%."

"This gene therapy can assist sufferers make wholesome crimson blood cells on their very own and scale back how usually they want therapy," stated Dubinsky.

Prime 5 most costly medicine by gross sales quantity John Stanford, govt director of Incubate, a Washington-based coalition of early-stage life-science traders, shared his ideas on the highest 5 most costly medicine by gross sales quantity.

"Usually, when the federal government is targeted on the most costly medicine, they're targeted on the metric primarily based on gross sales quantity moderately than, for example, a uncommon illness remedy with a excessive checklist worth however smaller affected person pool," he informed Fox Information Digital.

"Usually, officers are targeted on complete drug spending by Medicare or different authorities applications."

"Usually, when the federal government is targeted on the most costly medicine, they're targeted on the metric primarily based on gross sales quantity moderately than, for example, a uncommon illness remedy with a excessive checklist worth however smaller affected person pool." (iStock)

1. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) by Merck — $25 billion income (2023)

Keytruda is an immunotherapy medicine used to deal with a variety of cancers , together with melanoma, non-small cell lung most cancers, liver most cancers and others.

"Keytruda has grow to be Merck's crown jewel, serving to the corporate increase its most cancers therapy portfolio with greater than 1,000 energetic medical trials," Stanford informed Fox Information Digital.

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2. Eliquis (apixaban) by Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer — $18.95 billion

Eliquis (apixaban) is an "anchor drug" for each BMS and Pfizer, in line with Stanford.

Apixaban is prescribed to stop the formation of blood clots and to deal with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (a blood clot within the lungs).

3. Ozempic (semaglutide) by Novo Nordisk — $13.93 billion

Prescribed for type 2 diabetes , the semaglutide medicine Ozempic has grow to be broadly widespread for its weight-loss results and different well being advantages.

Prescribed for kind 2 diabetes, the semaglutide medicine Ozempic has grow to be broadly widespread for its weight-loss results and different well being advantages. (REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photograph)

"Ozempic's gross sales are powering Novo Nordisk's broader foray into GLP-1s for weight problems, heart disease and liver situations — all areas with excessive growth prices and unsure scientific outcomes," Stanford informed Fox Information Digital.

"The cash has gone towards scaling up manufacturing to fulfill demand for GLP-1s and keep away from provide shortages."

4. Humira (AbbVie) — $14.4 billion (U.S. 2023 income)

"Humira has been one of many highest-grossing medicine in historical past, producing over $200 billion throughout its exclusivity interval," Stanford stated.

The injectable medicine, which comprises the energetic ingredient adalimumab, is used to deal with rheumatoid arthritis and different inflammatory situations.

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5. Biktarvy by Gilead — $11.85 billion

Biktarvy is an HIV therapy that features the three components bictegravir, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide.

"Biktarvy is not only a main HIV treatment — it is the monetary spine for Gilead's transfer into most cancers analysis," Stanford stated.

Which medicine might be affected? Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology firm, stated vaccines and most generic medicine would unlikely be modified by the manager order.

"Most vaccines that Individuals take price lower than 100 {dollars}, whereas generic medicine are sometimes lower than a greenback a capsule," he informed Fox Information Digital.

"From a affected person’s perspective, the worth of medical care in the USA is unsustainable, and intensely costly drugs is a part of that," one skilled stated. "Nevertheless, the insurance coverage system and the hospital enterprise additionally contribute." (iStock)

What can be affected, Glanville predicted, are newer brand-name medicine nonetheless underneath IP exclusivity, antibody therapies, mobile therapies, gene therapies and customized cancer vaccines .

"A few of these are excruciatingly costly — $100,000 to $500,000 for a therapy course for a affected person. Nevertheless, they're additionally usually the best remedies for sure cancers, autoimmune issues or rare diseases ."

The value of innovation? The pharmaceutical trade may argue that decreasing the costs on these medicines will end in a "dramatic discount of funding" in creating such breakthroughs, stated Glanville.

The trade might also argue that these medicines ultimately grow to be generic — at which level the costs drop, in line with the skilled.

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"From a affected person’s perspective, the worth of medical care in the USA is unsustainable, and intensely costly drugs is a part of that," he stated. However "the insurance coverage system and the hospital enterprise additionally contribute."

"If the costs of latest medicines are capped, then effort must be made to cut back the price of medical trials and drug GMP manufacturing. In any other case, we are going to lose numerous innovation."

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Greg Norman of Fox Information Digital contributed reporting.

Melissa Rudy is senior well being editor and a member of the approach to life workforce at Fox Information Digital. Story suggestions could be despatched to melissa.rudy@fox.com.