Specialty drugs for rare diseases have been shown to be the most costly, according to market and analysts’ data gathered by Forbes magazine.
Alexion Pharmaceuticals’ treatment for paroxysymal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH), Soliris (eculizumab), came top of the Forbes list of the top nine priciest drugs on the current global market (see table below).
Interestingly, all the drugs are for rare diseases, known as ‘orphan’ treatments, with Aldurazyme only applicable to 600 patients worldwide, according to Forbes.
Other notable features are that all the companies are US-based except Shire, most of the products are biotech and most treat genetic disorders which, if found during infancy, imply a lifetime of treatment.
“The success of specialty drugs for rare diseases comes at a time when the traditional business of selling medicines to the masses is in decline,” said the Forbes commentary.
Data provided by Forbes and Pharmaceutical Commerce