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.”
Budget Impact Analysis of Biosimilar Natalizumab in the US
Projected savings from biosimilar natalizumab were $452,611 over 3 years, driven by decreased drug acquisition costs and a utilization shift from reference to biosimilar natalizumab.
Biosimilars in America: Overcoming Barriers and Maximizing Impact
July 21st 2024Join us as we explore the complexities of the US biosimilars market, discussing legislative influences, payer and provider adoption factors, and strategies to overcome industry challenges with expert insights from Kyle Noonan, PharmD, MS, value & access strategy manager at Cencora.
Biosimilars Policy Roundup for April 2024—Podcast Edition
May 5th 2024On this episode of Not So Different, The Center for Biosimilars® glances back at all the major biosimilar policy updates from April, including 2 FDA approvals, 1 European approval, and several insights into possible policy changes from the Festival of Biologics USA conference.
Hesitancy in MENA Nations to Adopt WHO Biosimilar Guidelines Hinders Market Development
July 17th 2024The World Health Organization’s (WHO) new guidelines for biosimilar approvals aim to save time and money for manufacturers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), but hesitancy among nations to adopt the guidelines is stifling market development of biosimilars.
BioRationality: Time to Get Rid of PBMs if Biosimilars Are to Succeed
July 15th 2024Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, discusses the challenges with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that plague the biosimilar industry and new legislation that attempts to reform their practices and encourage biosimilar adoption.