Know about different expensive drugs approved by FDA 

In addition to Hemgenix, there are many other costly drugs available in the market that seem to be almost unattainable. Read on to know more.

Hyderabad: The US health regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday approved a new drug named Hemgenix to treat hemophilia B, and now it has become the most expensive drug in the world. The breakthrough medicine, which is available at a price of $3.5 million per treatment, was developed by the US-based biopharmaceutical company CSL Behring.

Not just Hemgenix, there are many other costly drugs available in the market that seem to be almost unattainable. Here, let’s know about a few other expensive drugs.

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Zolgensma

Developed by Novartis, the price of the Zolgensma drug is $2,125,000 (one-time cost). Approved by FDA in 2019, Zolgensma is the second most costly drug available in the market. It is used to treat rare spinal muscular atrophy disorders in human beings, usually children.

Zokinvy

The cost of the Zokinvy, developed by Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, is $1,073,760 (for a year’s supply). It was approved by FDA in 2020 to treat a rare genetic disease called Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, a genetic condition that causes premature ageing.

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals partnered with Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) to bring the medication into usage.

Danyelza

Manufactured by Y-mAbs Theraptuics, Inc., Danyelza is another expensive drug available in the market to treat neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow of paediatric and adult patients. A patient suffering from neuroblastoma needs 48 vials per year, which costs around $1,011,882 per year. It was approved by FDA on 27 December 2020.

Kimmtrak

Manufactured by Immunocore Ltd, Kimmtrack is used to treat patients with metastatic or surgically untreatable uveal melanoma (cancer). The drug approved by FDA in 2022 will cost $975,520 per year.

FDA analysed the results of a clinical trial published in the September 2021 issue of the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’ for approving the medicine.

Myalept

At $929,951 a year, Myalept is used to treat patients with congenital generalised lipodystrophy. The drug is currently manufactured by the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca. The FDA gave the green light to the orphan drug in 2014. A patient needs 4 vials per month, which brings the monthly cost of treatment to $77,496.