Alexion Pharmaceutical’s Soliris, the most expensive drug prescription, costs approximately over $490,000 US Dollars (USD) every year. This medication is a monoclonal antibody drug, in which antibodies are used in an attempt to have the body’s immune system fight against autoimmune disease. Soliris began being sold in 2009 for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare disorder that causes the body’s immune system to kill off its own red blood cells nightly. This can result in life-threatening blood clots or excessive bleeding. The high cost of Soliris is thought to be the result of how rare PNH is, as the disorder affects approximately 8,000 Americans each year.
More about expensive prescription drugs:
- Shire Pharmaceuticals’ Elaprase, used for the treatment of Hunter’s Syndrome, is among the most expensive drugs and costs approximately $375,000 USD each year.
- Prescription drugs used for treating cancer are actually not among the highest because they are generally only administered for a few months at a time. For example, the cancer treatment Avastin costs an average of $50,000 USD per year.
- Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), prescribed for infants suffering from spasms, is one of the most expensive children’s medications at around $115,000 USD per month.