Right now, the list price for a year of treatment with Humira is $77k in the U.S. With the availability of biosimilars, the estimated annual price in the EU is $3.5k.
That’s a whopping 22x price difference.
A 🧵 on why the prices for the exact same drug are so different.
That’s a whopping 22x price difference.
A 🧵 on why the prices for the exact same drug are so different.
AbbVie released Humira in 2002 as an anti-inflammatory treatment.
It raised the price steadily in both the EU & US until 2018, when Humira’s patent protection in Europe ended & biosimilar competitors could enter the market.
The result: W/in 4 months, Humira’s price dropped 70%.
It raised the price steadily in both the EU & US until 2018, when Humira’s patent protection in Europe ended & biosimilar competitors could enter the market.
The result: W/in 4 months, Humira’s price dropped 70%.
However, Americans won't benefit from Humira biosimilars in the marketplace until 2023. That's over 4 years of extended monopoly for Humira in the U.S. vs Europe.
The cost: $70 BILLION that Americans will spend on Humira in that time to line the pockets of AbbVie.
The cost: $70 BILLION that Americans will spend on Humira in that time to line the pockets of AbbVie.
To extend their patent monopoly on Humira, AbbVie continually files patents on small changes long after the drug's approval. This is called patent evergreening.
Humira has filed a whopping 257 patent apps on Humira in the U.S.
It filed just 63 patent apps on Humira in Europe.
Humira has filed a whopping 257 patent apps on Humira in the U.S.
It filed just 63 patent apps on Humira in Europe.
What’s especially important to note is that European Patent Office data shows that many of the patents AbbVie filed in attempts to extend their monopoly in Europe were either withdrawn, refused during the examination, or revoked after patent challenges.
These very same patents have been granted in the U.S. and form part of the settlement agreements with biosimilar competitors, for which they have to pay royalties to AbbVie when they enter the market in 2023.
AbbVie knows they can’t get away with these monopoly shenanigans in Europe, so they push and profit from their U.S. monopoly as much as they can.
That means the prices stay sky-high, leaving patients with an unaffordable drug they need to manage pain.
That means the prices stay sky-high, leaving patients with an unaffordable drug they need to manage pain.
Humira is just one example of the patent system’s failures.
The 10 best-selling drugs in the U.S. have an avg of 131 patent apps and have seen their price increase by an avg of 71% from 2014-2019.
To solve the drug pricing problem, we need to fix the drug patent problem.
The 10 best-selling drugs in the U.S. have an avg of 131 patent apps and have seen their price increase by an avg of 71% from 2014-2019.
To solve the drug pricing problem, we need to fix the drug patent problem.
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