These Are The 10 Most Expensive Drugs In America

Drugs, whether they are generic, OTC, or patented, are affordable to most Americans, particularly those who have healthcare that covers the cost of pharmaceuticals. However, in rare cases, drugs can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year when measured across a year of recommended treatment. Among the 10 most expensive drugs, not a single one is affordable by anyone who is not wealthy. Fortunately, many of these are also covered by insurance.

GoodRx, a company that provides mobile apps and PC-based products to track drug prices, has put together a list of the 10 most expensive drugs in America. Its researchers point out:

Many of the most expensive drugs are taken for an extended period of time, and costs quickly add up. This analysis ranks drugs by their annual cost for a typical course of therapy. Prices are based on the drug’s list price, which is the price that the pharmaceutical company assigns as an official price to a drug, then adjusted for time to create a comparable benchmark.

In each case, the cost of the drug over a year is well above $500,000

The GoodRx list:

Drug                      Manufacturer                      Annual cost
1 Zolgensma          AveXis, Inc                            $2,125,000
2 Zokinvy Eiger      BioPharmaceuticals              $1,032,480
3 Danyelza             Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc        $977,664
4 Myalept              Aegerion Pharmaceuticals        $889,904
5 Luxturna             Spark Therapeutics                    $850,000
6 Folotyn               Acrotech Biopharma                  $793,870
7 Brineura              BioMarin Pharmaceuticals         $730,340
8 Blincyto               Amgen, Inc                                $712,672
9 Ravicti                 Horizon Therapeutics                $695,970
10 Soliris                Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc     $678,392

Zolgensma is used to treat spinal muscular atrophy, according to GoodRx. Zokinvy is used to treat Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. Danyelza is used to treat neuroblastoma in bones. Myalept is used to treat leptin deficiency. Luxturna is used to treat retinal dystrophy. Folotyn is used to treat peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Brineura is used to treat Batten disease. Blincyto is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Ravicti is used to treat urea cycle disorders. Soliris is used to treat paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Special thanks to GoodRx for the descriptions of the conditions treated by the 10 drugs.

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