The 10 Most Expensive Drugs on the Market: You Must Know (Sept: 2023)

Are you guys aware of Drugs? It is a chemical substance that causes a change in an organism’s physiology or psychology when consumed. The drug is given to both humans as well as animals. The drugs are given through inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, and absorption. Not every drug is good for health, some of them are very injurious to health. So, it is advised to consume drugs that are only prescribed by doctors. There are normally two types of drugs: Pharmaceutical drugs and Psychoactive drugs which are consumed by humans for medical treatment.

Pharmaceutical drugs are medicines that are commonly used to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose a disease or to promote well-being. Psychoactive drugs are those drugs that affect the function of the central nervous system. These drugs are very useful in treating a wide range of medical conditions including mental disorders around the world. There are various other drugs like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol which are known as recreational drugs, and they are normally used for pleasure rather than medical purposes. Do you know, many drugs are made from deadly animals? Various drugs are specially made from the venom of a deadly animal like a snake. Today, many cancer-fighting drugs are created with the use of mice.

The List of Most Expensive Drugs

Why are drugs so expensive? Many people wonder why drugs are so expensive. The cost of the drug is dependent upon many factors. The specialty drug, gene therapy, or biological drug, are the most expensive drugs. The price set by the manufacturer and their interaction with the pharmacy benefit manager (PBMs) are some of the most important reasons for the cost of the drug. A medicine can simply provide relief from a severe headache with affordable and generically available painkillers like acetaminophen. So, now let’s look at the list of the most expensive drugs in the world.

10. Ravicti ( $695, 970)

Ravicti is one of the most expensive drugs in the world. It is generally used to treat urea cycle disorders. Urea cycle disorders are genetic disorders that can cause high levels of ammonia in the blood. If this disorder is left untreated then they can cause confusion, coma, or even death.

The annual list price of this drug is around $695,970. Around 132 bottles are given to a person annually and the price of one bottle is around $5,273. Ravicti is dispensed in a pharmacy and doesn’t require administration from a healthcare provider. It is a treatment approved to help prevent a build-up of toxic ammonia in the blood of children from birth and older.

9. Blincyto ($754,720)

Blincyto is considered the ninth most expensive drug in the world. The annual list price of Blincyto is estimated at around $754,720. It is manufactured by Amgen and used for the treatment of a rare form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of blood and bone marrow. A healthcare provider can only administer Blincyto, and the dosing is done in cycles. The first cycle of this drug is used to reduce the number of cancer cells in the body which is known as the induction phase.

The second cycle is known as the consolidation phase which helps the new healthy cells to grow. Different people require different amounts of the drug during each phase but typically a person uses about 168 vials per year. Some patients can reduce the price of Blincyto through their Safety Net Foundation.

8. Brineura ($755,898)

Brineura is among the most expensive medicines and drugs in the world. This medication is used to treat a specific form of Batten disease named late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2. It helps for the treatment of slow walking ability in children of 3 years and older. The price of Brineura was increased by 3.5% this January.

The annual list price of this expensive drug is estimated at around $755,898. The list price of Brineura is around $29,073 for a kit of 2 vials of 150 mg. It is advised to give 300 mg dosage every 2 weeks. Patients who are suffering from active intraventricular access device-related complications such as leakage, device failure, and meningitis should not take Brineura.

7. Folotyn ($842,585)

Folotyn is one of the most expensive drugs in the world. It is generally used to treat peripheral T-cell lymphoma, a rare blood cancer that can lead to the death of a person. A person who is suffering from this deadly disease requires this medication. You should not take this drug without the prescription of a doctor. A person is given 135 vials of the drug in a year.

In January 2022, the price of the Folotyn was increased by 3% by the manufacturer. But the manufacturer also offers to save your money by giving discounts to qualified patients through their STAR program. This drug contains the active substance pralatrexate. Folotyn can lead to myelosuppression, manifested by thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and anemia. The annual pricing list of Folotyn is estimated at around $842,585.

6. Luxturna ($850,000)

Luxturna is considered the sixth most expensive drug in the world. The price of this drug is also as high as the others. It is a gene therapy that is generally used to treat an inherited form of retinal dystrophy. This disease leads to vision loss and often even complete blindness. This drug cannot be dispensed at a pharmacy. It requires a doctor to administer 1 vial of the medication to each eye. It is advised to take one dose of Luxturna.

The list price of each vial is around $425,000. There are various side effects of this drug which include Eye infection which can also lead to serious infection inside the eye called endophthalmitis, permanent decline in visual acuity, changes in the retina that can lead to vision loss, and the formation of worsening of cataracts. The annual listing price of this drug is $850,000.

5. Myalept ($929,951)

It is the fifth most expensive drug in the world. Myalept is used for the treatment of leptin deficiency in patients with generalized lipodystrophy which leads to abnormal fat distribution in the body. This drug is dispensed at the pharmacy. In January 2022, the price of Myalept was increased by 4.5%. People usually take this drug once a day and typically use 14 vials per month, bringing the yearly price tag to $929,951.

This is the only drug that is used to cure or control this rare disease. So, there are no other cost-saving options available for this disease. The annual listing price of this drug is estimated at around $929,951. Amryt Pharmaceuticals also offers some assistance programs to help people afford this drug.

4. Kimmtrak ($975,520)

Kimmtrak is the fourth most expensive drug in the world. The annual listing price of this drug is estimated at around $975,520. This drug was approved by the FDA in January 2022 for the treatment of metastatic or surgically untreatable uveal melanoma, a form of eye cancer.

Kimmtrak should be taken only with the advice of a doctor and a person suffering from this disease will take one vial per week. The cost per vial is around $18,760 with a yearly cost of $975,520. Some side effects of this medication include cytokine release syndrome, rash, pyrexia, pruritus, fatigue, nausea, chills abdominal pain, edema, hypotension, dry skin, headache, and vomiting.

Top #3 Most Expensive Medicines are Below

3. Danyelza ($1,011,882)

Danyelza is the third most expensive drug in the world. The annual listing price of this drug is estimated at around $1,011,882 which is not a small amount. This drug was approved by the FDA in November 2020 for the treatment of neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow of children as well as adult patients. It was under an accelerated approval program and considered an orphan drug and breakthrough therapy.

In December 2021, the price of this medication was increased by 3.5%, and in the coming year, the price will increase more and more. The cost of each vial is around $21,081 and each patient requires 48 vials per year.

2. Zokinvy ($1,073,760)

This is the second most expensive drug in the world. This medication was approved by the FDA in November 2020 and used for the treatment of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. Hutchinson-Gilford is one of the rare genetic diseases which leads to premature aging.

Although the dosage of the medicine depends on the body’s surface area, still people take around 200 mg of Zokinvy a day, and at $746 per 50 mg capsule. In December 2021, the cost of this drug was increased by 4%. The annual listing price of Zokinvy is estimated at around $1,073,760.

1. Zolgensma ($2,125,000)

Zolgensma is one of the most expensive drugs or medicines in the world. The annual listing price of Zolgensma is estimated at around $2,125,000. It’s a one-time course treatment that will cost you around $2.1 million. It is used for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy which is a rare childhood disorder that causes muscular erosion which leads to lung infections and muscle weakness.

This disease can be cured with a one-time therapy and children who have been treated with this drug have no signs of the disease. It is not easy for everyone to pay for this drug, as insurers may not cover it.

Conclusion of The Most Expensive Medicines

This article is all about the most expensive drugs in the world. Here we also mentioned the disease with the medicines or drugs required to cure it. If you want to search for expensive medicine, then this is the right article for you. Here you will also find solutions to various diseases. I hope you guys liked reading this article and it might help you know more about this deadly disease.

Topic Summary

Here is a quick list of the 10 Most Expensive Drugs in the World.

1. Zolgensma
2. Zokinvy
3. Danyelza
4. Kimmtrak
5. Myalept
6. Luxturna
7. Folotyn
8. Brineura
9. Blincyto
10. Ravicti

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