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. 2023 Feb 13;11(4):558. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11040558

Disentangling the Cost of Orphan Drugs Marketed in the United States

Hana Althobaiti 1, Enrique Seoane-Vazquez 2,3,*, Lawrence M Brown 2, Marc L Fleming 2, Rosa Rodriguez-Monguio 4,5,6
Editor: Lorenzo Mantovani
PMCID: PMC9957503  PMID: 36833091

Abstract

The increasing number and high prices of orphan drugs have triggered concern among patients, payers, and policymakers about the affordability of new drugs approved using the incentives set by the Orphan Drug Act (ODA) of 1983. This study evaluated the factors associated to the differences in the treatment cost of new orphan and non-orphan drugs approved by the FDA from 2017 to 2021. A generalized linear model (GLM) with the Gamma log-link analysis was used to ascertain the association of drug characteristics with the treatment costs of orphan and non-orphan drugs. The results of the study showed that the median and interquartile range (IQR) drug cost was USD 218,872 (IQR = USD 23,105) for orphan drugs and USD 12,798 (IQR = USD 57,940) for non-orphan drugs (p < 0.001). Higher market entry prices were associated with biologics (108%; p < 0.001), orphan status (177%; p < 0.001), US sponsor companies (48%; p = 0.035), chronic use (1083%; p < 0.001), treatment intent (163%; p = 0.004), and indications for oncology (624%; p < 0.001) or genetic disorders (624%; p < 0.001). Higher market entry treatment cost for newly approved drugs were associated with biologics, orphan status, US sponsor companies, chronic use, therapeutic intent, and indications for oncology or genetic disorders.

Keywords: orphan drugs, non-orphan drugs, price, market entry

1. Introduction

In the United States (US), orphan drugs are indicated for the treatment of rare diseases and conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 patients [1]. With an estimated 7000 orphan diseases, 1 out of every 10 Americans live with a rare condition [2]. The Orphan Drug Act (ODA) was introduced in 1983 to encourage the development of new drugs for such conditions. The orphan designation introduced by the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 allows drug manufacturers to benefit from several incentives, such as market exclusivity, fee waivers, direct funding for research and development (R&D), and tax credits that aim to boost returns on investment in orphan drug research and development [3,4].

The Increase in the demand for orphan drugs to address a growing number of rare diseases coupled with the steady increase in prices has raised concerns about the affordability of orphan drugs [5,6,7,8]. New drugs are expensive and contribute to rising healthcare costs for public and private patients [9,10,11], and the FDA orphan designation is associated with higher prices and out-of-pocket expenditures [12,13].

However, studies assessing the factors behind differences in the costs of orphan and non-orphan drugs in the US are lacking. This study evaluated the factors associated to the differences in the treatment cost of new orphan and non-orphan drugs approved by the FDA from 2017 to 2021.

2. Material and Methods

2.1. Data Sources

We extracted the list of new molecular entities and therapeutic biologics approved and marketed in the US in 2017–2021 from the FDA website [14]. Vaccines, allergenic products, and blood and blood products were excluded from the study. We collected the first wholesale acquisition costs (WACs) from the IBM Micromedex RED BOOK and used the WACs at market entry as proxies for the actual acquisition costs by private payers. Pharmaceutical companies use the WACs to set the initial reference price in the Medicaid outpatient pharmacy, 340B Drug Pricing Program, and Federal Supply Schedule programs [15,16]. The Medicare Part B program also uses the WACs to set the initial prices for reimbursement of drugs used in physician offices. We collected price data at the national drug code (NDC) level and selected the lowest NDC cost per unit at market entry whenever several NDCs were available for the same active ingredient, dosage form, and strength. We selected the unit (tablet, capsule, vial, etc.,) closest to the FDA-recommended strength when a drug had several strengths. We classified the approved drugs in the following therapeutic categories [17]: genetic disorders, HIV and related comorbidities, other infectious diseases, oncology, transplants, and other areas.

We collected each drug’s recommended dose and treatment duration from the first FDA approved label. When the FDA-approved label did not indicate the treatment duration, we used the median treatment duration from pivotal clinical trials listed on the label. We assumed an average patient weight of 70 kg and a body surface area of 1.75 m2 to calculate the daily dose for adult patients, and 40 kg was used to calculate the daily dose for pediatric patients if any adjustment was needed (Appendix A, Table A1).

We calculated the treatment cost for single-use, use for less than one year, and use for one year or longer. We inflated the prices to USD 2021 using consumer price index (CPI) non-seasonally adjusted data for all US city average items and all urban consumers from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics [18].

2.2. Data Analysis

We conducted descriptive statistics for each variable included in the analysis. Then, we studied the correlations between the treatment cost of newly approved drugs at market entry and the variables, as well as between the variables themselves. We used the Chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test in combination with the Phi-coefficient or Cramer’s V considered in cases where both variables were categorical. If both variables were continuous, scatter plots were depicted, and Spearman or Bravais–Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated. We used the point–biserial correlation to check for correlations between categorical and continuous variables. Kruskal–Wallis test is also conducted to check for a significant difference between the means of the ordinal variables’ groups (Appendix A, Table A2).

2.3. Study Outcome: The Treatment Costs of New Approved Drugs at Market Entry

We used a generalized linear model (GLM) with the Gamma log-link to assess the association between the treatment costs of newly approved drugs at market entry and potential variables: the date of first market entry, application type (New Drug Applications (NDAs), Biologic License Applications (BLAs)), country of incorporation of the sponsor company (US vs. non-US), a binary indicator for first-in-class, a binary indicator for orphan drugs, FDA review type (standard vs. priority), therapeutic intent (diagnosis, prevention, or treatment), therapeutic area (genetic disorders, HIV and related comorbidities, other infectious diseases, oncology, transplants, and other areas), age group (adult, pediatric and adult, or pediatric), and treatment duration (single-use, less than one year, or one year or longer) while addressing the right-skewed distribution of our data. We included all statistically significant variables (p < 0.05) from the bivariate analysis in the GLM. We tested for multicollinearity among independent variables in the GLM using the variance inflation factor (Appendix A, Table A3).

We used the train-test split procedure to estimate our model’s performance and prevented the model from overfitting by using root-mean-square error (RMSE). We used two-tailed statistical tests and a p value of 0.05 as the significance threshold. We conducted all analyses using RStudio statistical software (version 4.0.3).

3. Results

The FDA approved 257 new drugs, including 127 (49.4%) orphan and 130 (50.6%) non-orphan drugs in 2017–2021. We excluded 15 drugs that were not marketed in the US as of March 31, 2022; thus, the analytical sample included 242 drugs, including 118 (48.8%) orphan drugs and 124 (51.2%) non-orphan (Table 1).

Table 1.

Characteristics and median cost of new drugs and biological products approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, 2017–2021.

Drugs Characteristics Non-Orphan Orphan
No. (%) Median Cost (USD 2021) p Value No. (%) Median Cost (USD 2021) p Value
Total 124 (51.2%) $12,798.36 118 (48.8%) $218,871.51
Application type
NDA 95 (53.1%) $8701.27 <0.001 84 (46.9%) $206,176.28 0.051
BLA 29 (46.8%) $61,468.75 34 (54.0%) $264,007.88
Combination
Fixed-dose combination 12 (85.7%) $30,895.32 0.010 2 (14.3%) $100,177.88 <0.001
Single active ingredient 112 (49.1%) $12,111.33 116 (50.9%) $223,076.48
Country of Incorporation
US 88 (49.7%) $15,834.14 0.666 89 (50.3%) $237,264.66 0.005
Other Countries 36 (55.4%) $9483.82 29 (44.6%) $128,579.61
First in class
Yes 40 (40.8%) $19,252.87 0.041 58 (59.2%) $239,593.23 0.322
No 84 (58.3%) $9483.82 60 (41.7%) $206,176.28
FDA review
Priority review 56 (36.6%) $29,093.35 0.003 97 (63.4%) $233,934.14 0.053
Standard review 68 (76.4%) $7383.70 21 (23.6%) $142,195.27
FDA Designations and Pathways
Accelerated approval 12 (26.1%) $163,239.32 <0.001 34 (73.9%) $209,306.88 0.656
Breakthrough therapy 20 (25.6%) $102,425.22 0.002 58 (74.4%) $242,091.05 0.073
Fast track 35 (40.2%) $28,677.06 0.325 52 (59.8%) $232,237.26 0.667
Therapeutic Intent
Diagnosis 4 (57.1%) $1274.04 0.123 3 (42.9%) $2527.44 0.085
Prevention 11 (64.7%) $2311.92 6 (35.3%) $71,503.98
Treatment 108 (49.8%) $18,486.88 109 (50.2%) $230,768.11
Therapeutic Area
Genetic disorders 2 (4.9%) $290,279.77 <0.001 39 (95.1%) $274,515.15 0.002
HIV 4 (80.0%) $37,825.76 1 (20.0%) $36,982.36
Infectious diseases 17 (77.3%) $3152.25 5 (22.7%) $3207.95
Oncology 27 (36.5%) $199,370.90 47 (63.5%) $156,126.94
Transplant 0 (0.0%) $0.00 2 (100.0%) $25,790.23
Other 74 (75.5%) $9557.37 24 (24.5%) $8411.00
Age Group
Adult 111 (59.7%) $77,064.00 0.019 75 (40.3%) $15,834.14 <0.001
Pediatric/Adult 10 (26.3%) $212,437.49 28 (73.7%) $1067.40
Pediatrics 3 (16.7%) $211,046.32 15 (83.3%) $35,684.60
Treatment Duration
Single use 15 (75.0%) $727.85 0.011 5 (25.0%) $715.47 0.001
Less than one year 43 (52.4%) $92,438.35 39 (47.6%) $12,069.44
One year or longer 65 (46.8%) $130,151.75 74 (53.2%) $23,174.91

BLA, biologics license application; NDA, new drug application.

The percentages for orphan drugs versus non-orphan drugs were as follows: therapeutic biologics (54.0% vs. 46.8%), US country of incorporation of the sponsor company (50.3% vs. 49.7%), first-in-class (59.2% vs. 40.8%), and intended for treatment (50.2% vs. 49.8%).

Orphan drugs also had higher percentages of approvals for FDA-expedited review processes and other regulatory designations (62.4% vs. 37.6%), priority review designations (63.4% vs. 36.6%), accelerated approvals (73.9% vs. 26.1%), breakthrough therapy designations (74.4% vs. 25.6%), and fast-track designations (59.8% vs. 40.2%). Similarly, orphan drugs accounted for higher percentages of approved new oncology drugs (63.5% vs. 36.5%) and genetic disorder drugs (95.1% vs. 4.9%; Table 1). The most frequently approved new drugs for pediatric patients were orphan drugs (83.3% vs. 16.7%), adult and pediatric drugs (73.7% vs. 26.3%), and adult drugs (40.3% vs. 59.7%; Table 1).

3.1. Treatment Cost of New Approved Drugs at Market Entry

The median treatment cost was USD 218,872 for orphan drugs (IQR = USD 231,057, range USD 237–USD 1,272,021) and USD 12,798 for non-orphan drugs (IQR = USD 57,940, range USD 44–USD 382,866, p < 0.001; Figure 1; Appendix A, Table A1).

Figure 1.

Figure 1

New drugs treatment cost at US market entry (USD 2021) and median WAC.

Compared with non-orphan biologics drugs, the median treatment cost was 4.3 times higher for orphan therapeutic biologics (USD 264,007.88 vs. USD 61,468.75, p < 0.001) and 3.2 times higher for orphan fixed drug combinations (USD 100,177.88 vs. USD 30,895.32, p < 0.001; Table 1).

The median treatment cost was higher for orphan drugs marketed by US companies than for companies from other countries (USD 237,265 vs. USD 128,580, p = 0.005; Table 1; Appendix A, Figure A1).

However, the difference in the median treatment cost for non-orphan drugs marketed by US companies and those marketed by companies from other countries was insignificant (USD 9483.82 vs. USD 15,834.14, p = 0.262; Table 1).

The median treatment cost for first-in-class approved orphan drugs was not statistically significant relative to the median treatment cost for other orphan drugs (USD 239,593.23 vs. USD 206,176.28, p = 0.322). The median treatment cost for orphan drugs that received a priority review was not significantly different from the cost for orphan drugs with standard reviews (USD 233,934.14 vs. USD 142,195.27, p = 0.053).

Although orphan drugs intended for treatment had a median treatment cost three times higher than drugs for preventive use, the difference was not statistically significant (USD 230,768.11 vs. USD 71,503.98, p = 0.190). The median treatment cost for non-orphan drugs intended for treatment indication was significantly higher than for drugs for the preventive indication (USD 18,486.88 vs. USD 2311.92, p = 0.047).

For the therapeutic areas, we identified a significant difference in the median treatment cost for oncology orphan drugs compared to non-orphan drugs (USD 220,832.30 vs. USD 156,126.94, p = 0.002; Appendix A, Figure A2). Finally, the median treatment cost across patient age groups was significantly higher for orphan drugs targeting both adult and pediatric populations than for non-orphan drugs (USD 280,152.74 vs. USD 1067.40, p < 0.001).

3.2. Factors Explaining Treatment Cost of New Approved Drugs at Market Entry

The date of market entry, priority review, and approval as first-in-class drugs were not statistically significantly associated with the mean treatment cost for newly approved drugs at market entry. However, the mean treatment cost at market entry was positively associated with biologics (110%; p < 0.001) and orphan drugs (177%; p < 0.001). Higher market entry treatment costs were also associated with drugs sponsored by US pharmaceutical companies (67%; p = 0.035), drugs intended for treatment rather than prevention (163%; p = 0.004), and treatments with a duration of one year or longer compared to single use (1092%; p < 0.001; Table 2).

Table 2.

Factors explaining the treatment cost of new drugs at market entry, 2017–2021.

Independent Variable Treatment Cost of New Drugs at Market Entry
Ratio of Means a 95% CI p Value
Date of Market Entry 1.02 0.91–1.15 0.722
Application Type (Reference: NDA)
BLA 2.10 1.39–3.24 <0.001
Orphan drug (Reference: non-orphan)
Yes 2.77 1.85–4.17 <0.001
Country of Incorporation (Reference: US)
Other Countries −0.67 0.46–0.99 0.035
FDA Regulatory Review Approval Pathway (Reference: Standard review)
Priority review 1.34 0.86–2.07 0.188
First in Class Drugs (Reference: non-First in class drug)
Yes 1.28 0.88–1.87 0.187
Intent (Reference: Treatment)
Diagnosis −0.30 0.09–1.12 0.049
Prevention −0.39 0.21–0.80 0.005
Therapeutic Area (Reference: Infectious diseases)
Genetic disorders 7.08 2.86–17.15 <0.001
HIV 2.48 0.74–10.89 0.164
Oncology 7.98 3.81–16.22 <0.001
Transplant 1.05 0.21–12.55 0.961
Other 2.06 0.95–4.29 0.047
Patient Population Indication (Reference: Pediatrics)
Adults −0.86 0.38–1.79 0.653
Pediatric/Adult −0.73 0.33–1.54 0.402
Treatment Duration (Reference: one year or longer)
Less than 1 year −0.77 0.51–1.18 0.189
Single use −0.08 0.04–0.20 <0.001

a: exponentiated coefficients, a percentage increase in the mean treatment drug cost per unit increase in the covariate. BLA, biologics license application; NDA, new drug application.

Among the therapeutic areas, the higher market entry treatment costs were significantly associated with drugs indicated for oncology (698%; p < 0.001) and genetic disorders (608%; p < 0.001) compared to infectious diseases (Table 2). An RMSE was obtained for each train model and test model (RMSE-train model = 3.0 ≈ REMS-test model = 2.8), indicating a good model fit.

4. Discussion

This novel study assessing US treatment costs of newly approved drugs at market entry from 2017 to 2021 found that the median treatment cost was 17 times higher for orphan than non-orphan drugs. However, after controlling for the characteristics of the drug, date of market entry, therapeutic class, FDA review designation, country of the sponsor company, therapeutic intent, and treatment duration, the treatment drug cost was 2.8 times higher for orphan than non-orphan drugs.

The median treatment costs for orphan drugs exceeded USD 200,000 at market entry. Over the past 20 years, drug expenditures in the US market have increasingly shifted toward drugs that treat relatively few people [7], and the rapid growth of orphan drug approvals has raised concerns about their pricing and affordability [5]. The high costs of orphan drugs are also associated with large out-of-pocket expenditures [12,13].

The findings that the cost of new drugs is associated with orphan drugs, therapeutic biologics, therapeutic class, therapeutic intent, and long treatment duration align with prior research that found that launch prices of new drugs in the US increased faster for biologics and drugs treating rare diseases [11]. In fact, the financial burden on patients and healthcare payers results in high profits for pharmaceutical companies in marketing orphan drugs, even for a small patient populations [12,19,20].

Previous studies have pointed out that drug development is less costly for orphan than for non-orphan drugs due to smaller and fewer efficacy and safety trials, shorter FDA review time, higher marketing approval success rates, and lower marketing prices [6,12,13,21]. Since rare diseases are often serious or life-threatening, most orphan drugs qualify for designations and regulatory pathways established by Congress to expedite new drug development and FDA review and approvals [22,23]. Our study confirmed that a higher percentage of orphan than non-orphan drugs benefited from FDA-expedited designations and approval pathways.

The pharmaceutical industry has been criticized for high prices and profits from orphan drug incentives in situations that do not meet the Orphan Drug Act’s original intent [24,25]. Orphan designations for marketed drugs and the division of diseases into sub-types to apply for multiple orphan designations have also been associated with delays in generics entry [26]. Moreover, results showed that drugs sponsored by US pharmaceutical companies were significantly associated with higher drug treatment costs at market entry than non-US pharmaceutical companies. The differences in prices of drugs at market entry between US and non-US pharmaceutical companies could be explained by different factors than the country of the sponsored company, such as disease severity, additional non-orphan indications, or route of administration.

Previous studies found that the year of market entry was associated with increased drug prices at US market entry [11,27]. However, our analysis showed no statistically significant association between the date of market entry and treatment drug cost, possibly due to the relatively short period evaluated in our study.

To mitigate the high price of drugs for vulnerable populations, Congress created the 340B program in 1992 that requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide front-end discounts (typically 30–50%) for outpatient prescription medicines that serve high numbers of uninsured and poor patients [28]. More than 40% of hospitals in the US are eligible to participate in the 340B program [29]. In 2010, The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 excluded all sales of drugs that obtained orphan drug approval from the discounts offered by the 340B program to safety-net healthcare providers [30]. Manufacturers of frequently utilized drugs, such as the best-selling drug adalimumab, may identify a new use that meets the definition of a rare disease and obtain FDA approval for an orphan drug indication, thus effectively ceasing the provision of 340B discounts for sales of the drug [31,32].

This study evaluated the cost of drug treatment but not the effectiveness of new drugs approved in the US. However, coverage and reimbursement decisions consider both factors (cost and effectiveness). From an economic perspective, orphan drugs should be subject to the same clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact analyses as non-orphan drugs [33,34]. However, healthcare organizations and insurers use special criteria when making orphan drug reimbursement decisions [33]. The economic incentive and ethical imperatives remain unresolved for ensuring access to safe, effective, and affordable treatments for patients with rare diseases [35]. Moreover, balancing the economic incentives to develop and market orphan drugs against the overall benefits and improvements in health outcomes remains critically important [36,37].

A potential reason explaining the high cost of orphan drugs is that R&D expenses for orphan drugs must be recouped from a small number of patients, resulting in high drug treatment costs per patient [21].

A previous study found that the prices of an orphan drugs in Europe were higher for conditions with low prevalence [38]. However, another study concluded that the prices of orphan drugs in the US are unlikely to be driven by the prevalence of the target disease [39]. Further studies are needed to associate disease prevalence and drug treatment costs.

The Orphan Drug Act, enacted 40 years ago, has been credited to have an important role in the development and approval of drugs for rare diseases [36]. As a result, there has been a substantial increase in the number of orphan drugs approved by the FDA, providing therapeutic options for patients with unmet medical needs. However, the high cost of these drugs creates significant financial barriers to patient access and highlights the need for a more sustainable and equitable pricing structure to ensure patients’ access to affordable treatments.

5. Limitations

This study used the wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) at market entry as a proxy of the actual acquisition cost by private payers. Companies typically use the WAC to set the initial reference price in the Medicaid outpatient pharmacy, the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and the Federal Supply Schedule programs. As price increases in those programs are limited by the rise in the consumer price index, pharmaceutical companies do not have incentives to reduce the market entry price below the WAC. The Medicare Part B program also used the WAC to set new drugs’ initial price. Public and private payers also use the WAC to estimate drug product reimbursement to pharmacies and providers.

The sample included new molecular entities and new therapeutic biologics approved by the FDA in 2017–2021. The study excluded non-therapeutic biologics and approvals of already marketed drugs. However, these exclusions do not affect the validity of the results for the stated period, although future studies on more extensive and inclusive datasets could further extend the validity of our findings. We also did not consider the potential number of users for each drug. Follow-up studies could evaluate the effect of patient population size on drug prices. We used median treatment costs for the FDA-recommended dose and treatment duration. Future studies could use doses and treatment durations observed in clinical practices and average prices weighted by the number of users to better estimate the societal impact of high-cost drugs.

6. Conclusions

Orphan drugs were priced significantly higher than non-orphan drugs at market entry. Higher market entry treatment costs were associated with biologics, orphan status, US sponsor companies, chronic use, therapeutic intent, and indications for oncology or genetic disorders. Future research should assess whether the clinical benefits of orphan drugs justify their high costs.

Appendix A

Table A1.

The treatment costs of new molecular entities and new biologics at market entry, 2017–2021.

Product Name (Non-Proprietary Name) Approval Date Therapeutic Area Posology Type Age Group Units/Treatment Adjusted WAC Cost Per Year/Treatment at Market Entry
Non-Orphan Drugs
New Therapeutic Biologics
aducanumab-avwa 7 Jun 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 9125 mg $52,540.51
amivantamab-vmjw 21 May 2021 Oncology Cycles Adult 26,985 mg $233,668.03
anifrolumab-fnia 30 Jul 2021 Other Cycles Adult 3900 mg $60,644.32
benralizumab 14 Nov 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Pediatric 195 mg $35,684.60
brodalumab 15 Feb 2017 Other Cycles Adult 5460 mg $33,131.85
brolucizumab-dbll 7 Oct 2019 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 39 mg $233,934.14
cemiplimab-rwlc 28 Sep 2018 Oncology Cycles Adult 6067 mg $168,790.78
dasiglucagon 22 Mar 2021 Other Single-Use Adult & Pediatric 0.6 mg $522.21
dostarlimab-gxly 22 Apr 2021 Oncology Cycles Adult 8667 mg $117,686.30
dupilumab 28 Mar 2017 Other Short treatment course Adult 2400 mg $6217.48
durvalumab 1 May 2017 Oncology Cycles Adult 18,200 mg $138,311.22
efgartigimod alfa-fcab 17 Dec 2021 Genetic Disorders Cycles Adult 18,200 mg $274,515.15
enfortumab vedotin-ejfv 18 Dec 2019 Oncology Cycles Adult 3150 mg $350,189.92
eptinezumab-jjmr 21 Feb 2020 Other Cycles Adult 400 mg $6148.56
erenumab-aooe 17 May 2018 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 840 mg $7383.70
fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki 20 Dec 2019 Oncology Cycles Adult 6552 mg $158,518.55
fremanezumab-vfrm 14 Sep 2018 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 2700 mg $4922.47
galcanezumab-gnlm 27 Sep 2018 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 1440 mg $7383.70
guselkumab 13 Jul 2017 Other Cycles Adult 650 mg $68,753.32
margetuximab (anti-HER2 mAb) 16 Dec 2020 Oncology Cycles Adult 18,249 mg $153,735.33
ocrelizumab 28 Mar 2017 Other Cycles Adult 1200 mg $70,996.82
risankizumab-rzaa 23 Apr 2019 Other Cycles Adult 750 mg $155,429.21
romosozumab-aqqg 9 Apr 2019 Other Short treatment course Adult 2520 mg $19,724.18
sacituzumab govitecan-hziy 22 Apr 2020 Oncology Cycles Adult 14,200 mg $163,239.32
sarilumab 22 May 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 5200 mg $37,366.74
tezepelumab-ekko 27 Dec 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 2730 mg $23,808.22
tildrakizumab-asmn 20 Mar 2018 Other Cycles Adult 433 mg $61,468.75
tisotumab vedotin-tftv 20 Sep 2021 Oncology Cycles Adult 1680 mg $251,117.72
tralokinumab-ldrm 27 Dec 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 3000 mg $16,121.70
New Molecular Entities
abaloparatide 28 Apr 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 28,800 mg $16,383.88
abemaciclib 28 Sep 2017 Oncology Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 103,200 mg $220,369.75
air polymer-type A 7 Nov 2019 Other Single-Use Adult 217.4 mg $740.22
alpelisib 24 May 2019 Oncology Cycles Adult 99,000 mg $288,748.34
amisulpride 26 Feb 2020 Other Single-use Adult 5 mg $43.70
angiotensin ii 21 Dec 2017 Other Single use Adult 1 mg $1605.15
apalutamide 14 Feb 2018 Oncology Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 86,400 mg $140,226.19
atogepant 28 Sep 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 3600 mg $2009.75
avatrombopag 21 May 2018 Other Short treatment course Adult 200 mg $9630.92
baloxavir marboxil 24 Oct 2018 Infectious disease Single-Use Adult & Pediatric 80 mg $165.33
baricitinib 31 May 2018 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 720 mg $26,384.87
bempedoic acid 21 Feb 2020 Other Chronic use (1 year) Adult 64,800 mg $3392.97
betrixaban 23 Jun 2017 Other Short treatment course Adult 3360 mg $688.12
bictegravir, embitcitabine, tenofovir alafenamide 7 Feb 2018 HIV Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 18,000 mg $37,825.76
bremelanotide 21 Jun 2019 Other Single-use Adult 2 mg $759.66
brexanolone 19 Mar 2019 Other Short treatment course Adult 126,000 mg $49,458.10
cabotegravir and rilpivirine 21 Jan 2021 HIV Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 7200 mg $36,138.96
cefiderocol 14 Nov 2019 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 84 mg $15,834.14
cenobamate 21 Nov 2019 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 72,000 mg $12,153.21
clascoterone 26 Aug 2020 Other Short treatment course Adult & Pediatric 180 mg $1394.25
darolutamide 30 Jul 2019 Oncology Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 432,000 mg $146,050.77
delafloxacin 19 Jun 2017 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 12,600 mg $3096.55
difelikefalin 23 Aug 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 5475 mg $12,164.38
doravirine 30 Aug 2018 HIV Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 36,000 mg $17,720.89
drospirenone and estetrol 15 Apr 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 365 mg $2311.92
elagolix sodium 23 Jul 2018 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 54,000 mg $11,624.06
eravacycline 27 Aug 2018 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 1960 mg $1835.23
erdafitinib 12 Apr 2019 Oncology Cycles Adult 1080 mg $102,425.22
ertugliflozin 19 Dec 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 5400 mg $10,332.05
etelcalcetide 7 Feb 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 780 mg $55,718.30
ferric maltol 25 Jul 2019 Other Chronic use (1 year) Adult 21,600 mg $6084.00
finerenone 9 Jul 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 7300 mg $14,041.97
flortaucipir F18 28 May 2020 Oncology Single use Adult 1.5ml $1407.33
fosnetupitant and palonosetron 19 Apr 2018 Other Single-use Adult 235 mg $545.75
fostemsavir 2 Jul 2020 HIV Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 432,000 mg $94,387.79
Gallium 68 PSMA-11 1 Dec 2020 Oncology Single-use Adult 6 mCi $1140.75
glecaprevir and pibrentasvir 3 Aug 2017 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 18,000 mg $30,895.32
ibrexafungerp 1 Jun 2021 Infectious disease Single-Use Adult & Pediatric 600 mg $481.65
imipenem, cilastatin, relebactam 16 Jul 2019 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 70 mg $19,252.87
istradefylline 27 Aug 2019 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 7200 mg $9483.82
lasmiditan 11 Oct 2019 Other Single-Use Adult 50 mg $715.47
latanoprostene bunod 2 Nov 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 360 mg $3774.85
lefamulin 19 Aug 2019 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 6000 mg $1448.92
lemborexant 20 Dec 2019 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 1800 mg $1696.51
lofexidine hydrochloride 16 May 2018 Other Short treatment course Adult 30 mg $3719.59
lumateperone 20 Dec 2019 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 15,120 mg $16,286.54
lusutrombopag 31 Jul 2018 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 21 mg $9095.87
meropenem and vaborbactam 29 Aug 2017 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 84 mg $14,831.62
naldemedine 23 Mar 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 72 mg $4541.48
neratinib maleate 17 Jul 2017 Oncology Cycles Adult 86,400 mg $137,624.60
netarsudil 18 Dec 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 360 mg $3528.77
olanzapine and samidor- phan 28 May 2021 Other Chronic use (1 year) Adult 3650 mg $34,296.86
oliceridine 7 Aug 2020 Other Short treatment course Adult 27 mg $485.82
omadacycline 2 Oct 2018 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 4200 mg $5917.66
opicapone 24 Apr 2020 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 18,000 mg $7279.58
ozanimod 25 Mar 2020 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 331 mg $87,213.00
ozenoxacin 11 Dec 2017 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult & Pediatric 50 mg $524.40
piflufolastat f 18 26 May 2021 Oncology Single-use Adult 9 mCi $4498.92
plazomicin 25 Jun 2018 infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 7350 mg $4955.11
plecanatide 19 Jan 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 1080 mg $5385.55
ponesimod 18 Mar 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 7300 mg $99,807.53
pretomanid 14 Aug 2019 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 35,400 mg $3689.29
prucalopride succinate 14 Dec 2018 Other Chronic use (1 year) Adult 720 mg $5360.25
relugolix 18 Dec 2020 Oncology Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 44,040 mg $29,093.35
remdesivir 22 Oct 2020 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult & Pediatric 600 mg $3207.95
remimazolam 2 Jul 2020 Other Single Use Adult 5 mg $395.46
revefenacin 9 Nov 2018 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 63,000 mg $4408.82
ribociclib 13 Mar 2017 Oncology Cycles Adult 168,000 mg $191,363.72
rifamycin SV MMX 16 Nov 2018 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 2328 mg $154.09
rimegepant 27 Feb 2020 Other Short treatment course Adult 1125 mg $1638.67
safinamide 21 Mar 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 18,000 mg $4390.22
sarecycline 1 Oct 2018 Other Short treatment course Adult & Pediatric 9000 mg $2718.69
secnidazole 15 Sep 2017 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 2 gm/1 packet $284.94
segesterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol 10 Aug 2018 Other Single-use Adult 0.013 mg $2107.51
selinexor 3 Jul 2019 Oncology Cycles Adult 5504 mg $199,370.90
semaglutide 5 Dec 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 52 mg $12,798.36
serdexmethylphenidate and dexmethylphenidate 2 Mar 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 18,828 mg $31,574.56
siponimod 26 Mar 2019 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 363 mg $46,405.16
sodium zirconium cyclosilicate 18 May 2018 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 3600 mg $8411.00
sofosbuvir, velpatasvir and voxilaprevir 18 Jul 2017 Infectious disease Short treatment course Adult 33,600 mg $81,657.26
talazoparib 16 Oct 2018 Oncology Cycles Adult 360 mg $187,225.07
tenapanor 12 Sep 2019 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 36,000 mg $17,331.04
tirbanibulin 14 Dec 2020 Other Short treatment course Adult 5 mg $1003.86
tivozanib 10 Mar 2021 Oncology Cycles Adult 276 mg $239,272.43
trifarotene 4 Oct 2019 Other Short treatment course Adult & Pediatric 45 gm $740.55
trilaciclib 12 Feb 2021 Oncology Cycles Adult 2520 mg $12,069.44
ubrogepant 23 Dec 2019 Other Single-use Adult 50 mg $87.40
upadacitinib 16 Aug 2019 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 5400 mg $62,171.69
valbenazine 11 Apr 2017 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 28,800 mg $81,591.72
vericiguat 19 Jan 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 3650 mg $28,677.06
vibegron 23 Dec 2020 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 27,000 mg $5577.81
viloxazine 2 Apr 2021 Other Chronic use (1 year) Pediatric 67,200 mg $7198.85
voclosporin 22 Jan 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) Adult 17,064 mg $154,284.16
vosoritide 19 Nov 2021 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) Pediatric 168 mg $382,866.12
Orphan drugs
New Biologics
asparaginase erwinia
chrysanthemi (recombi-
nant)-rywn
30 Jun 2021 Oncology Short treatment course Adult & Pediatric 262.5 mg $233,701.65
avalglucosidase alfa-ngpt 6 Aug 2021 Oncology Chronic Use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 36,498 mg $634,666.86
avelumab 23 Mar 2017 Cycles Adult & Pediatric 18,200 mg $149,490.89
belantamab mafodotin-blmf 5 Aug 2020 Oncology Cycles adult 3041.5 mg $258,737.92
brexucabtagene autoleucel 24 Jul 2020 Oncology Single-use adult 1 × 106 CAR-positive viable T cells/kg body weight $460,217.51
burosumab-twza 17 Apr 2018 Genetic Disorders Cycles Adult & Pediatric 770 mg $280,152.74
calaspargase pegol-mknl 20 Dec 2018 Oncology Cycles Adult & Pediatric 76,042 mg $511,422.87
caplacizumab-yhdp 6 Feb 2019 Genetic Disorders Short treatment course Adult 330 mg $230,772.87
cenegermin-bkbj 22 Aug 2018 Genetic Disorders Short treatment course adult 360 mg $92,771.30
cerliponase alfa 27 Apr 2017 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) Pedatric 7800 mg $810,995.23
crizanlizumab-tmca 15 Nov 2019 Genetic Disorders Cycles Adult & Pediatric 4900 mg $121,708.92
elapegademase-lvlr 5 Oct 2018 Genetic Disorders Short treatment course Adult & Pediatric 336 mg $393,751.93
emapalumab-lzsg 20 Nov 2018 Genetic Disorders Cycles Adult & Pediatric 6720 mg $230,768.11
emicizumab 16 Nov 2017 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 4830 mg $523,352.19
evinacumab-dgnb 11 Feb 2021 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 12,600 mg $399,262.34
ibalizumab-uiyk 6 Mar 2018 HIV Chronic Use (1 year) adult 21,120 mg $128,579.61
inebilizumab-cdon 11 Jun 2020 Genetic Disorders Cycles adult 600 mg $269,277.83
inotuzumab ozogamicin 17 Aug 2017 Oncology Cycles adult 11.4 mg $258,152.31
lanadelumab 23 Aug 2018 Other Cycles Adult & Pediatric 7800 mg $614,046.02
loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl 23 Apr 2021 Oncology Cycles adult 73.5 mg $168,218.08
luspatercept-aamt 8 Nov 2019 Genetic Disorders Cycles Adult 1213 mg $175,989.95
mogamulizumab-kpkc 8 Aug 2018 Genetic Disorders Cycles adult 1820 mg $369,067.53
moxetumomab pasudotox-tdfk 13 Sep 2018 Oncology Cycles adult 50.4 mg $114,368.37
naxitamab-gqgk 25 Nov 2020 Oncology Cycles Adult & Pediatric 3780 mg $1,005,223.62
pegvaliase-pqpz 24 May 2018 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) adult 1344 mg $280,740.01
polatuzumab vedotin-piiq 10 Jun 2019 Oncology Cycles Adult 756 mg $85,354.35
ravulizumab-cwvz 21 Dec 2018 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) adult 21,450 mg $470,793.46
ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft 12 Nov 2021 Other Chronic Use (1 year) adult 2607 mg $36,945.53
satralizumab-mwge 14 Aug 2020 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) adult 1800 mg $225,320.67
tafasitamab-cxix 31 Jul 2020 Oncology Cycles adult 12,618 mg $77,811.02
tagraxofusp-erzs 21 Dec 2018 Oncology Cycles Adult & Pediatric 50,400 mg $527,034.73
teprotumumab-trbw 21 Jan 2020 Other Short treatment course adult 10,500 mg $321,591.73
vestronidase alfa-vjbk 15 Nov 2017 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 2600 mg $600,633.06
New Molecular Entities
acalabrutinib 31 Oct 2017 Oncology Cycles adult 72,000 mg $184,338.32
amifampridine phosphate 28 Nov 2018 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) adult 7200 mg $131,934.10
asciminib 29 Oct 2021 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 29,200 mg $220,832.30
avacopan 7 Oct 2021 Other Chronic use (1 year) adult 21,900 mg $178,244.98
avapritinib 9 Jan 2020 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 109,500 mg $400,148.23
belumosudil 16 Jul 2021 transplant Cycles Adult & Pediatric 11,560 mg $30,281.42
belzutifan 13 Aug 2021 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) adult 43,800 mg $325,696.80
benznidazole 29 Aug 2017 Infectious disease Short treatment course Pediatric 15,600 mg $3604.42
berotralstat 3 Dec 2020 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 54,000 mg $492,998.67
binimetinib 27 Jun 2018 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 32,400 mg $140,958.14
brigatinib 28 Apr 2017 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 32,400 mg $171,550.75
brilliant blue g 20 Dec 2019 Other Single-Use adult 0.5 mL $236.60
cannabidiol 25 Jun 2018 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) Pediatric 288,000 mg $40,256.90
capmatinib 6 May 2020 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 288,000 mg $237,196.48
casimersen 25 Feb 2021 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Pediatric 57,600 mg $934,502.40
copanlisib 14 Sep 2017 Oncology Cycles adult 3120 mg $238,549.30
copper Cu 64 dotatate injection 3 Sep 2020 Other Single-Use adult 4 mCi $3597.22
dacomitinib 27 Sep 2018 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 16,200 mg $477,693.60
decitabine and cedazuridine 7 Jul 2020 Oncology Cycles adult 8100 mg $92,438.35
deflazacort 9 Feb 2017 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Pediatric 12,960 mg $122,273.13
deutetrabenazine 3 Apr 2017 Genetic Disorders Short treatment course adult 1008 mg $5484.97
duvelisib 24 Sep 2018 Oncology Cycles adult 16,800 mg $151,526.48
edaravone 5 May 2017 Genetic Disorders Cycles adult 7200 mg $1423.43
elexacaftor, tezacaftor, ivacaftor 21 Oct 2019 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 36,000 mg $107,917.40
enasidenib 1 Aug 2017 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 36,000 mg $325,999.90
encorafenib 27 Jun 2018 Oncology Chronic Use (1 year) adult 162,000 mg $140,958.14
entrectinib 15 Aug 2019 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 216,000 mg $212,437.49
fedratinib 16 Aug 2019 Other Cycles Adult 144,000 mg $265,546.86
fish oil triglycerides 27 Jul 2018 Other Short treatment course Pediatric 560 mg $4563.54
fosdenopterin 26 Feb 2021 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Pediatric 3285 mg $480,314.73
fostamatinib 17 Apr 2018 Other Chronic use (1 year) adult 72,000 mg $80,899.72
gilteritinib 28 Nov 2018 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 43,200 mg $288,927.58
givosiran 20 Nov 2019 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) adult 2100 mg $456,627.56
glasdegib 21 Nov 2018 Oncology Cycles adult 33,600 mg $202,848.56
golodirsen 12 Dec 2019 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Pediatric 62,400 mg $1,112,756.85
inclisiran 22 Dec 2021 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) adult 852 mg $9903.94
infigratinib 28 May 2021 Oncology Cycles adult 31,500 mg $81,753.72
inotersen 5 Oct 2018 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) adult 14,768 mg $320,887.96
isatuximab 2 Mar 2020 Oncology Cycles adult 18,200 mg $121,634.21
ivosidenib 20 Jul 2018 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 180,000 mg $347,577.05
larotrectinib 26 Nov 2018 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 67,200 mg $421,192.21
letermovir 8 Nov 2017 transplant Short treatment course adult 48,000 mg $21,299.04
lonafarnib 20 Nov 2020 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Pediatric 40,800 mg $1,272,021.04
lonapegsomatropin-tcgd 25 Aug 2021 Other Chronic use (1 year) Pediatric 473.2 mg $24,194.24
lorlatinib 2 Nov 2018 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 36,000 mg $206,176.28
lumasiran 23 Nov 2020 Genetic Disorders Cycles Adult & Pediatric 450 mg $538,575.32
lurbinectedin 15 Jun 2020 Oncology Cycles adult 97.3 mg $165,886.45
lutetium Lu 177 dotatate 26 Jan 2018 Oncology Cycles adult 800 mg $109,902.38
macimorelin acetate 20 Dec 2017 Other Single-Use adult 35 mg $2527.44
maralixibat 29 Sep 2021 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Pediatric 2357.9 mg $390,095.94
maribavir 23 Nov 2021 infectious disease Short treatment course adult 48,000 mg $54,103.80
melphalan flufenamide 26 Feb 2021 Oncology Cycles Adult 160 mg $77,064.00
midostaurin 28 Apr 2017 Oncology Cycles adult 42,000 mg $245,594.36
migalastat 10 Aug 2018 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) adult 20,664 mg $259,499.77
mobocertinib 15 Sep 2021 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 53,760 mg $283,920.00
nifurtimox 6 Aug 2020 Infectious disease Short treatment course Pediatric 180 mg $587.01
niraparib 27 Mar 2017 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 108,000 mg $253,639.89
odevixibat 20 Jul 2021 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Pediatric 268,800 mg $299,819.52
osilodrostat 6 Mar 2020 Other Chronic use (1 year) adult 5110 mg $420,155.64
patisiran 10 Aug 2018 Genetic Disorders Cycles adult 364 mg $370,041.32
pegcetacoplan 14 May 2021 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) adult 103,680 mg $428,687.40
pemigatinib 17 Apr 2020 Oncology Cycles adult 2268 mg $629,000.12
pexidartinib 2 Aug 2019 Oncology Cycles Adult 28,8000 mg $250,372.75
pitolisant 14 Aug 2019 Other Chronic use (1 year) Adult 12,816 mg $143,774.66
pralsetinib 4 Sep 2020 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 144,000 mg $237,332.85
ripretinib 15 May 2020 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 54,000 mg $473,789.61
risdiplam 7 Aug 2020 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Pediatric 1800 mg $339,668.66
selpercatinib 8 May 2020 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 115,200 mg $254,066.72
selumetinib 10 Apr 2020 Genetic Disorders Cycles Adult & Pediatric 32,400 mg $242,091.05
setmelanotide 25 Nov 2020 Other Chronic use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 720 mg $244,200.05
solriamfetol 20 Mar 2019 Other Chronic use (1 year) Adult 27,000 mg $4172.88
sotorasib 28 May 2021 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 292,032 mg $180,003.02
stiripentol 20 Aug 2018 Genetic Disorders Chronic Use (1 year) Pediatric 720,000 mg $81,491.71
tafamidis meglumine 3 May 2019 Other Chronic use (1 year) Adult 28,800 mg $237,095.41
tafenoquine 20 Jul 2018 Infectious disease Single-Use adult 300 mg $34.24
tucatinib 17 Apr 2020 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 216,000 mg $228,166.71
umbralisib 5 Feb 2021 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) adult 292,000 mg $196,158.30
viltolarsen 12 Aug 2020 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 268,800 mg $544,028.87
voxelotor 25 Nov 2019 Genetic Disorders Chronic use (1 year) Adult & Pediatric 540,000 mg $131,723.88
zanubrutinib 14 Nov 2019 Oncology Chronic use (1 year) Adult 115,200 mg $163,564.22

mCi = millicurie (radioactivity units).

Table A2.

Correlation matrix.

Treatment Cost of New Drugs at Market Entry Date of Market Entry Application Type Orphan Priority Review First in Class Drugs Country of Incorporation Therapeutic Intent Treatment Duration Therapeutic Area Age Group
Treatment Cost of New Drugs at Market Entry 1 0.023 0.28 0.548 0.378 0.21 −0.14 0.452 0.452 0.452 0.452
Date of Market Entry 1 0.045 −0.007 0.116 −0.146 −0.036 0.852 0.08 0.83 0.535
Application Type 1 0.05 0.007 0.186 0.198 0.103 0.133 0.238 0.179
Orphan 1 0.381 0.202 0.053 0.079 0.154 0.623 0.159
Priority Review 1 0.307 0.122 0.098 0.226 0.582 0.159
First in Class Drugs 1 0.008 0.065 0.053 0.277 0.1
Country of Incorporation 1 0.065 0.047 0.113 0.102
Therapeutic Intent 1 0.428 0.186 0.077
Treatment Duration 1 0.351 0.108
Therapeutic Area 1 0.332
Age Group 1

Cramer’s V, point-biserial, Kruskal. Test and Spearman correlation coefficients were used.

Table A3.

Multicollinearity.

Independent Variable VIF Increased SE Tolerance
Year of Market Entry 1.15 1.07 0.87
Application Type 1.24 1.11 0.81
Orphan 1.78 1.33 0.56
Country of Incorporation 1.08 1.04 0.92
Priority.Review 1.84 1.35 0.54
First in Class Drugs 1.34 1.16 0.75
Intent 1.81 1.34 0.55
Therapeutic Area 4.23 2.06 0.24
Age Group 1.47 1.21 0.68
Treatment Duration 2.24 1.5 0.45

Variance inflation factor (VIF), standard error (SE). We checked the multicollinearity of independent variables by using VIF for each independent variable in the set of multiple regression variables. The higher the value of VIF, the higher the correlation between this variable and the rest. If the VIF value is higher than 5, it is usually considered to have a high correlation with other independent variables. However, the value of VIF for each independent variable included in our model was less than 5. Our data show low multicollinearity; it is not severe enough to warrant corrective measures.

Figure A1.

Figure A1

New drugs treatment cost at US market entry (USD 2021) and median WAC.

Figure A2.

Figure A2

New drugs treatment cost at US market entry (USD 2021) and median WAC.

Author Contributions

H.A. and E.S.-V. data extraction, and analyses. H.A., E.S.-V. and R.R.-M. study conception and design. H.A., E.S.-V. and R.R.-M., data analysis and interpretation, and drafted manuscript. H.A., E.S.-V., R.R.-M., L.M.B. and M.L.F. participated in the interpretation of the study findings and revised it critically for intellectual content. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The data used to support the findings of this study will be available upon request.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Funding Statement

The work of Enrique Seoane-Vazquez and Rosa Rodriguez-Monguio was funded by a grant from Arnold Ventures. Arnold Ventures had no role in the design and conduct of the study, approval of the manuscript, and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Footnotes

Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

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Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Data Availability Statement

The data used to support the findings of this study will be available upon request.


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