New prescription drugs typically sold first in US: Report

Most new prescribed drugs are bought first within the U.S. earlier than they attain different nations, however finally essential medicines are bought throughout most rich nations inside a few yr of first sale, in line with a brand new RAND report.

Researchers say the examine’s findings have implications for the controversy over whether or not efforts to scale back excessive prescription prices within the U.S. might damage sufferers’ entry to the most recent drug therapies.

“Different rich nations—all of which have a lot decrease drug prices in comparison with the U.S.— see the introduction of recent medicines inside a couple of quarters of when they’re first bought globally,” stated Andrew Mulcahy, creator of the report and a senior well being economist at RAND, a nonprofit analysis group. “Whereas the U.S. is commonly the primary nation the place new drugs are bought, probably the most clinically and economically essential new medicine can be found broadly.”

U.S. policymakers are pursuing strategies to scale back drug costs within the U.S, the place the online costs for brand-name medicine are greater than 3 times larger than in different rich nations. Critics of the cost-cutting efforts have advised such insurance policies might stop or sluggish the sale of recent medicines within the U.S.

Earlier research have discovered that no less than some new prescribed drugs are bought solely in choose nations, and that medicine bought extra broadly usually are step by step launched throughout nations.

Mulcahy used info from IQVIA MIDAS to look at the supply and timing of market entry for 287 new medicine launched between 2018 and 2022 within the U.S. and 26 comparability nations that belong to the Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Improvement (OECD).

Of 287 new medicine launched from 2018 to 2022 within the U.S. and 26 different nations, 57% have been bought within the U.S. and different nations by the top of 2022. Smaller shares have been bought solely within the U.S. (17%) and solely in different nations (26%).

In 2022, greater than 90% of the U.S. spending for brand new medicine was for medicines additionally bought in different nations. The highest 10 new medicine by spending within the U.S. in 2022—together with these treating diabetes, autoimmune disorders and cancers—all have been bought in a number of different nations. New medicine bought solely within the U.S. or solely in different nations accounted for simply modest spending shares.

When it comes to timing, greater than half of recent medicine have been bought first within the U.S. The hole between U.S. launch and gross sales in different nations was about one yr on common. This diversified throughout new medicine and the particular comparability nation, and medicines generally launched first exterior the U.S.

Whereas most medicine which have appreciable income potential are bought in lots of nations, the advertising and marketing of recent medicines occurs first in nations such because the U.S. the place there’s extra latitude for producers to set costs, in line with the evaluation.

“Essential medicines with giant potential markets usually are bought throughout all wealthy nations inside a yr of when they’re first launched,” Mulcahy stated. “Policymakers might need to take into account this as they search for methods to decrease prescription medicine prices within the U.S.”