• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026

3

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026

3

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Health

Here are the 5 drug classes with the biggest price gains

By
Laura Lorenzetti
Laura Lorenzetti
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Laura Lorenzetti
Laura Lorenzetti
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 23, 2015, 4:39 PM ET
Inside Teva Pharmaceuticals Headquarters
An employee collects newly-manufactured pills at the tablet production plant at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.'s headquarters in Jerusalem, Israel, on Monday, Sept. 19, 2011. Teva, the world's largest maker of generic drugs, will invest $19 million in the CureTech Ltd. unit of Clal Biotechnology Industries Ltd. Photographer: Adam Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Adam Reynolds — Bloomberg via Getty Images

News this week that Turing Pharmaceuticals raised the price of its 62-year-old Daraprim treatment by over 5,000% has brought drug prices back into the headlines. Overall, drug prices have risen over the past two-and-a-half years, driven for the most part by the huge price gains for specialty drugs.

Drug prices rose 13.1% last year, of which 6.4% of the gain was a credit to traditional medications, and 30.9% was due to specialty medicine prices, according to Express Scripts.

Express Scripts, the largest pharmacy benefits manager in the U.S., publishes an annual drug trend report that takes a look at how drug prices are changing as well as how heavily patients are using those medicines. The data come from its own members, and given the company’s wide reach, it’s fairly representative of what’s going on in the broader market.

The benefits manager broke down unit costs—which accounts for inflation as well as rebates—for all therapy classes to find which categories of drugs faced the biggest price gains in 2014. (As a side note, some categories actually saw prices fall, such as asthma and depression drugs.)

1. Hepatitis C: 666.6%

The huge price leap for this category led it to become the fourth most-expensive specialty therapy class last year based on the per-member-per-year spend. This change was driven by brand new therapies Solvadi, Olysio, and Harvoni, which hit the market after recent approvals. These new antiviral therapies are vastly superior to earlier drugs and are able to cure the disease, although they come with formidable price tags. Gilead Sciences’ (GILD) Solvadi, for one, costs about $84,000 for a 12-week course of treatment.

2. Compounded Drugs: 128.2%

Compounded drugs can be used to treat any number of diseases. It’s a grouping of medicines that pharmacists create by combining multiple drugs for a needed condition. The prices for these drugs saw an unexpected jump after new regulations were passed in 2012, requiring compounded drugs be billed based on ingredient levels in the pill, not on the highest priced ingredient. Since then, bulk manufacturers and compounding pharmacies have raised prices substantially as a result, said Express Scripts.

3. Hemophilia: 17.6%

A number of new hemophilia drugs have hit the market, many of which are longer-acting and improve on current treatments. The new medicines allow patients to go longer between medicine infusions, but also come with slightly higher prices for the benefit. Still, at least one company has tried to ensure the new medicines are still accessible. Biogen (BIIB) promised to keep its new hemophilia treatment, Alprolix, at an equivalent annual cost to existing treatments.

4. Diabetes: 16.3%

Innovation continues for diabetes drugs: Four new treatments were approved in 2014. On top of that, more than half of diabetes prescriptions last year for branded medicines, which are often more expensive than their generic counterparts. This group of drugs held the title of the most expensive for Express Scripts based on per-member-per-year spend.

4. Pain and inflammation: 15.7%

While generics dominate this class of medicines, the price savings haven’t trickled down. Express Scripts explains this is because branded medicines have successfully won patients over with claims of “superior safety” by offering tamper-resistant formulations. As for specialty inflammation medicines for diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, the price boost “is likely related to typical brand inflation,” Express Scripts said.

For more Fortune Technology coverage, watch this video:
[fortune-brightcove videoid=4492977982001]

About the Author
By Laura Lorenzetti
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Health

worm
HealthFood and drink
The pest that could devastate the American cattle industry was in Texas, but now it’s in New Mexico, too
By Jeffrey Collins and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
6 hours ago
A man put a drink in front of Trump
HealthFood and drink
A Biden-era study told Americans to drink less alcohol. The Trump admin ‘sidelined’ the research facing pressure from the alcohol lobby
By Laura Ungar, Ali Swenson and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
6 hours ago
Kaged Pre-Workout Review (2026): Athlete Approved
HealthDietary Supplements
Kaged Pre-Workout Review (2026): Athlete Approved
By Christina SnyderJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Liquid IV Review (2026): Our Personal Experience
HealthDietary Supplements
Liquid IV Review (2026): Our Personal Experience
By Christina SnyderJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Biotics 8 Review (2026): Expert Tested
HealthDietary Supplements
Biotics 8 Review (2026): Expert Tested
By Emily PharesJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Jacked Factory Authentic Whey Protein Review (2026)
HealthDietary Supplements
Jacked Factory Authentic Whey Protein Review (2026)
By Emily PharesJune 8, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
22 hours ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
Economy
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
By Nick LichtenbergJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
Economy
'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
By Jim EdwardsJune 8, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.