How much does the price of common drugs vary across the globe? A UK digital healthcare startup collected that information to display the disparities across 50 countries for 13 often-used pharmaceuticals, including adalimumab and insulin glargine.
How much does the price of common drugs vary across the globe? A UK digital healthcare startup collected that information to display the disparities across 50 countries for 13 often-used pharmaceuticals, including adalimumab and insulin glargine.
Medbelle compared the drugs on a dollar-for-dollar basis, regardless of payer; the company included the average prices of both the reference product and the generic or biosimilar. Dosages were also normalized in order to make the price comparable. They then calculated the median price for each compound, as well as how far the actual price per dose in each country deviates from the median global cost.
Not surprisingly, the United States ranks number 1 in the world across all categories, except for a drug used to prevent organ transplant rejection: Saudi Arabian patients taking tacrolimus pay 204.52% above the median global cost.
Overall, US drugs in the interactive report deviated 306.82% from the median price for both branded and generic drugs; looking at branded drugs separately, the United States was 421.74% higher, and generic drugs were 97.41% higher.
For adalimumab (Humira), the difference ranged from 482.91% above the mean in the United States to —74.20% in India.
Unlike 23 other countries on the list, the United States has no biosimilars for adalimumab and won’t until 2023. Humira’s maker, AbbVie, has patent settlements that prevent competitors from launching until then, including Pfizer’s newly approved Abrilada, Hyrimoz (developed by Sandoz), Cyltezo (Boehringer Ingelheim), Hadlima (Samsung Bioepis), and Amjevita (Amgen).
For insulin glargine (Lantus), the difference ranged from a high of 557.86% above the median in the United States, compared with —43.51% in Egypt, where the price of 1 dose is equivalent to $6.87 for the branded product, compared with $90.57 in the United States.
Medbelle said it collected pricing information from online pharmacies, government websites, and other portals. The price per dose was calculated by 1 unit or 100g/ml of the medication, eg, per tablet (100g), capsule (100ml), syringe (unit), or inhaler (unit).
The other drugs in the report include sildenafil, pregabalin, atorvastatin, salbutamol, azithromycin, drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol, fluoxetine, alprazolam, lisinopril, and tenofovir.
The cost of drugs in the United States has been the focus of numerous hearings in Congress and a variety of bills, as well as the subject of a drug pricing blueprint released in 2018 by the Trump administration.
However, last week, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said President Trump was still not satisfied with his plan, which included an international price index, whereby certain drugs covered by Medicare would be linked to prices in other nations. Now, Azar said, the president wants the prices to be the lowest of all countries by invoking “most favored nation status.”
Skyrizi Overtakes Humira: “Product Hopping” Leaves Biosimilar Market in Limbo
November 7th 2024For the first time, Skyrizi (risankizumab-rzaa) has replaced Humira (reference adalimumab) as AbbVie’s sales driver, largely due to companies encouraging “product hopping” to avoid competition, creating concerns for the sustainability of the burgeoning adalimumab biosimilar market.
Biosimilars Policy Roundup for September 2024—Podcast Edition
October 6th 2024On this episode of Not So Different, we discuss the FDA's approval of a new biosimilar for treating retinal conditions, which took place in September 2024 alongside other major industry developments, including ongoing legal disputes and broader trends in market dynamics and regulatory challenges.
BioRationality: Should mRNA Copies Be Filed as NDAs or Biosimilars?
November 4th 2024The article by Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, argues that the FDA’s classification of future copies of messenger RNA (mRNA) products could be reconsidered, suggesting they might be eligible for new drug applications (NDAs) or a hybrid biosimilar category due to their unique characteristics and increasing prevalence.
Panelists Stress Stakeholder Education to Build Confidence in Biosimilars
October 31st 2024By expanding educational initiatives to clarify biosimilar safety, efficacy, and interchangeability, stakeholders can foster trust, improve access, and ensure that biosimilars are widely accepted as high-quality, cost-effective alternatives to originator biologics.
Enhancing Adoption of Infused Biosimilars for a Sustainable Future
October 30th 2024An IQVIA report highlights challenges to the sustainability of infused biosimilars in the US, citing rebate walls and reimbursement policies, and proposes key solutions to enhance adoption and benefits for all stakeholders.