Drug Total patent applications # Patents Issued % Filed after FDA approval Duration of patent protection Patents filed in U.S. vs. Europe Patents filed in U.S. vs. Japan % Price increase
2012-2018
>5% Medicare
annual price increase
>10% Medicaid
annual price increase
Top 15 Medicare total spending (rank) Medicare spending per beneficiary Years on the U.S. market Generic / biosimilar approved by FDA (year) Generic / biosimilar on the U.S. market (year) Company Condition(s) Treated Drug Type
Herceptin 186 108 84% 48 2.4x 1.5x -58% - - - $34,000 20 ✔ 2017 - Pfizer/BMS Cancer Biologic
Revlimid 106 96 40 2.7x 2.9x 79% - - ✔ 2 $75,238 13 - - BMS/Celgene Multiple Myeloma Small Molecule
Humira 247 132 89% 39 3.3x 3.9x 144% ✔ 18% ✔ 17% ✔ 14 $34,024 16 - - AbbVie Arthritis Biologic
Enbrel 57 41 72% 39 2.9x 3.2x 155% ✔ 18% ✔ 18% ✔ 15 $32,891 20 ✔ 2016 - Amgen Arthritis Biologic
Rituxan 204 94 90% 47 1.8x 1.8x 25% ✔ 6% - ✔ 13 $23,815 21 ✔ 2017 ✔ 2017 Biogen/Genentech Cancer Biologic
Remicade 123 66 93% 32 6.1x 4.4x 18% ✔ 6% - - $22,925 20 ✔ 2016 ✔ 2016 Johnson&Johnson Arthritis Biologic
Eylea 67 51 37% 31 3.1x 4.4x 6% - - ✔ 7 $10,497 7 - - Bayer/Regeneron Macular Degeneration Biologic
Avastin 219 86 73% 43 2.2x 1.9x 16% - - - $5,360 14 ✔ 2017 ✔ 2017 Roche Cancer Biologic
Lyrica 118 68 21% 32 1.9x 1.9x 163% ✔ 17% ✔ 18% ✔ 8 $2,462 14 - - Pfizer Pain Small Molecule
Xarelto 49 30 39% 34 87% ✔ 11% - ✔ 9 $2,420 7 - - Johnson&Johnson Blood Clots Small Molecule
Lantus 74 49 95% 37 1.7x 3.1x 114% ✔ 16% ✔ 16% ✔ 3 $2,349 18 ✔ 2015 ✔ 2016 Sanofi Diabetes Biologic (insulin)
Eliquis 48 27 35% 34 2.7x 2.8x 69% - - ✔ 10 $2,329 6 - - Pfizer/BMS Stroke/ Embolism Small Molecule
Average 124.8 70.7 66% 38 2.8x 2.9x 68% $20,693 14.7

Numbers in pink font indicate above the average for the 10 drugs

  • Patent data as of August 2018
  • Data on pricing changes were obtained from IQVIA monthly NSP prices from June 2012 to May, 2018 These represent total spending on prescription medicines from wholesaler transactions and include all on-invoice discounts, but no off-invoice discounts or rebates
  • Data on prices and spending for Medicare and Medicaid were obtained from the CMS ‘Drug Spending Database’ and reflect data from 2012-2016
  • Medicare price increases are based on average annual changes in the price per beneficiary over the period 2012-2016 and spending per beneficiary is for 2016
  • Medicaid price increases are based on average changes in the spending per dosage unit over the period 2012-2016
  • Humira and Humira Pen are combined and reflect the total for Medicare and Medicaid spending rank; annual price increases reflect the average of the two product sub-types

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