A whopping $450 billion was spent in the United States on prescription drugs last year.
Topping the list, perhaps unsurprisingly, are medications whose patents were still in force or had recently expired. When a patent expires, generic versions — or biosimilar versions of biologic drugs — can become available, driving down costs that in turn make them accessible to more patients.
The power of marketing. Only 4 of the top 10 were even launched in this decade.