The Most Expensive Prescription Drugs in 2022

Some prescription drug prices have changed little over past years, but others have soared. Here are the most expensive prescription drugs now on the market.

You can get cheap generic prescription drugs — for some conditions. When it comes to new treatments for rare or potentially deadly diseases, the cost can be hard to fathom.

And costs keep going up.

In less than a year, six of the most expensive medications in the U.S. had a price increase, according to researchers at GoodRx. The website, which provides price comparisons and discounts on pharmaceuticals, tracks the most expensive drugs filled at local pharmacies in the U.S. The top three in price — Zokinvy, Myalept, and Mavenclad, each described below — all cost over $60,000 a month for a standard prescription.

But there are even more expensive drugs that aren’t available from a pharmacy.

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The following list ranks drugs by the yearly cost for an average patient, based on the list price (insurance companies get discounts). It includes drugs available at a pharmacy and those available only through injections at a clinic or a medical provider.  

Few people need these drugs, but their costs increase the price of insurance.

Zolgensma – $2,125,000

Zolgensma, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019, treats a rare childhood disorder called spinal muscular atrophy. It can cure a child of the disease. To encourage insurance coverage, manufacturer Novartis Gene Therapies has a program that pays for the drug in yearly installments of $425,000 over 5 years.

Zokinvy – $1,073,760

Zokinvy, approved by the FDA in 2020, is the only treatment for Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, a rare genetic disease that causes premature aging.

It typically costs nearly $90,000 a month. There are financial support options.

Danyelza – $1,011,882

The FDA approved Danyelza in November 2020 to treat neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow of pediatric and adult patients. There are financial support options.

Kimmtrak – $975,520

This drug, approved in 2020, treats metastatic or surgically untreatable uveal melanoma, a form of eye cancer. Patients typically get it through an IV infusion about once a week, at a cost of $18,760. There are financial support options.

Myalept – $929,951

Myalept, available at pharmacies, treats a condition called lipodystrophy, which causes abnormal fat distribution in the body.

Patients take it once a day at a cost of $77,496 a month, or nearly a million per year. It is the only treatment available, but the manufacturer does offer financial support.  

Luxturna – $850,000

This gene therapy treats retinal dystrophy, which can lead to blindness. A doctor must administer a vial into each eye. It’s a one-time treatment, but each vial costs $425,000.

Folotyn – $842,585

A healthcare worker must administer this treatment for the rare and sometimes fatal blood cancer peripheral T-cell lymphoma. There are financial support options.

Brineura – $755,898

A first-in-class medication, Brineura treats a condition that leads to children ages 3 years and up who lose the ability to walk. There are financial support options.

Blincyto – $754,720

This drug treats a rare form of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. There are financial support options.

Ravicti – $695,970

You can get this drug at a pharmacy, to treat genetic conditions that lead to high levels of ammonia in the blood — which can be fatal or cause comas. There are financial support options.

Another peculiarity of the US pharmaceutical market is that insurers and self-pay patients routinely overpay even for generics. In a Johns Hopkins study, researchers concluded that, if costly generics were replaced with cheaper options that have the same clinical value, total spending could have dropped by nearly 90 percent.  

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