On the heels of President Donald Trump’s Monday 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 may save.
The president’s order requires “most favored nations drug pricing” — which implies “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 might be diminished 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 scale back prescription costs, noting that Trump’s order tackles a long-standing drawback.
“However this won’t be easy to perform,” she instructed 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 may save. (iStock)
“The chief order would not cut back prices instantly,” she stated. “It directs authorities companies to begin drafting the foundations, which can take months.”
Listed here are the 5 costliest pharmaceuticals within the U.S. by worth — adopted by 5 by quantity.
5 costliest pharmaceuticals within the US
Dubinsky detailed a few of the costliest pharmaceuticals within the nation right now and what circumstances they deal with.
1. Lenmeldy (atidarsagene autotemcel) by Orchard Therapeutics – $4.25 million
This treatment 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 treatment is prescribed for individuals with hemophilia B, a bleeding dysfunction.
“This one-time remedy 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 treatment, meant for younger 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 implies “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 treatment is used for cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), a severe mind illness in boys,” stated Dubinsky. “This remedy tries to sluggish 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 normally requires common transfusions.
“Some prescription drug and pharmaceutical costs might be diminished virtually instantly by 50 to 80 to 90%.”
“This gene remedy can assist sufferers make wholesome purple blood cells on their very own and cut back how typically they want remedy,” stated Dubinsky.
Prime 5 costliest medication by gross sales quantity
John Stanford, govt director of Incubate, a Washington-based coalition of early-stage life-science buyers, shared his ideas on the highest 5 costliest medication by gross sales quantity.
“Sometimes, when the federal government is concentrated on the costliest medication, they’re targeted on the metric primarily based on gross sales quantity somewhat than, as an example, a uncommon illness remedy with a excessive record worth however smaller affected person pool,” he instructed Fox Information Digital.
“Usually, officers are targeted on complete drug spending by Medicare or different authorities applications.”
“Sometimes, when the federal government is concentrated on the costliest medication, they’re targeted on the metric primarily based on gross sales quantity somewhat than, as an example, a uncommon illness remedy with a excessive record worth however smaller affected person pool.” (iStock)
1. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) by Merck — $25 billion income (2023)
Keytruda is an immunotherapy treatment used to deal with a wide range of cancers, together with melanoma, non-small cell lung most cancers, liver most cancers and others.
“Keytruda has turn out to be Merck’s crown jewel, serving to the corporate broaden its most cancers remedy portfolio with greater than 1,000 lively medical trials,” Stanford instructed 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, based on 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 kind 2 diabetes, the semaglutide treatment Ozempic has turn out to be extensively common for its weight-loss results and different well being advantages.
Prescribed for kind 2 diabetes, the semaglutide treatment Ozempic has turn out to be extensively common 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, coronary heart illness and liver circumstances — all areas with excessive improvement prices and unsure scientific outcomes,” Stanford instructed 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 medication in historical past, producing over $200 billion throughout its exclusivity interval,” Stanford stated.
The injectable treatment, which incorporates the lively ingredient adalimumab, is used to deal with rheumatoid arthritis and different inflammatory circumstances.
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5. Biktarvy by Gilead — $11.85 billion
Biktarvy is an HIV remedy that features the three components bictegravir, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide.
“Biktarvy is not only a main HIV remedy — it is the monetary spine for Gilead’s transfer into most cancers analysis,” Stanford stated.
Which medication could possibly be affected?
Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology firm, stated vaccines and most generic medication would unlikely be modified by the chief order.
“Most vaccines that Individuals take value lower than 100 {dollars}, whereas generic medication are sometimes lower than a greenback a capsule,” he instructed Fox Information Digital.
“From a affected person’s perspective, the worth of medical care in the US is unsustainable, and intensely costly medication is a part of that,” one knowledgeable stated. “Nevertheless, the insurance coverage system and the hospital enterprise additionally contribute.” (iStock)
What could be affected, Glanville predicted, are newer brand-name medication nonetheless below IP exclusivity, antibody therapies, mobile therapies, gene therapies and customized most cancers vaccines.
“A few of these are excruciatingly costly — $100,000 to $500,000 for a remedy course for a affected person. Nevertheless, they’re additionally typically the simplest therapies for sure cancers, autoimmune problems or uncommon illnesses.”
The value of innovation?
The pharmaceutical trade would possibly argue that decreasing the costs on these medicines will lead to a “dramatic discount of funding” in creating such breakthroughs, stated Glanville.
The trade may additionally argue that these medicines finally turn out to be generic — at which level the costs drop, based on the knowledgeable.
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“From a affected person’s perspective, the worth of medical care in the US is unsustainable, and intensely costly medication 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 ought to be made to scale back the price of medical trials and drug GMP manufacturing. In any other case, we are going to lose loads of 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 life-style group at Fox Information Digital. Story ideas will be despatched to melissa.rudy@fox.com.
