U.S. DRUG PRICES ARE SURGING
By Bruce Gil, Quartz Media
Feb 24, 2024
Pharmaceutical companies set prices for new drugs in the U.S., and they were a whopping 35% higher in 2023 than they were the prior year as the industry embraces treatments for rare diseases.
The most expensive drugs approved in 2023
Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Sarepta’s drug Elevydis, a one-time, muscular dystrophy gene therapy treatment, was the most expensive drug approved by the FDA last year. Its annual list price came at a whopping $3.2 million. About 250,000 Americans have some form of muscular dystrophy.
Bluebird’s Lyfgenia, the company’s treatment for sickle cell disease, came in second with a list price of $3.1 million. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that sickle cell disease affects about 100,000 Americans.
In third place was Roctavian, a treatment for the bleeding disorder hemophilia from BioMarin, which has a list price of $2.9 million. Its estimated that up to 33,000 American males are currently living with the disorder, according to the CDC.
It is important to note that the list price doesn’t necessarily equal the actual price patients pay. Drug manufacturers typically offer rebates and discounts to patients and insurers that lower the price of many medications.
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