A cost evaluation for 49 top-selling, brand-name drugs found no let-up in price increases between 2012 and 2017, with the availability of generics having no effect on the trend, according to researchers from the Scripps Research Translational Institute.
Top offenders for six-year price increases include cholesterol drugs Lipitor and Zetia, pain medication Lyrica, osteoporosis drug Forteo, plus commonly used insulins, cancer drugs and erectile dysfunction drugs, all of which doubled in price during the study period.
The study, published in May in JAMA Open Network, drew from a Blue Cross Blue Shield database representing data from privately insured individuals. The drugs had a medium increase in price of 76% over the study period, and an increase in insurer and out-of-pocket costs of more than 50% for the subgroup of drugs that have been available since 2012.
Annual or biannual increases were the norm, suggesting that costs will continue to rise unabated, with competition between brand-name competitors having little affect, said corresponding author Eric Topol, M.D. “With so few exceptions to this norm, costs will likely continue to rise unless bold actions are taken,” he said.
The study authors say greater drug cost transparency is needed.
