Keytruda, Ozempic among priciest drugs costing consumers thousands monthly
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot unpacks President Donald Trump’s drug cost cut executive order on ‘The Claman Countdown.’
President Trump put pharmaceutical CEOs on notice, demanding they lower drug prices or he promised to get involved.
He penned a letter to 17 CEOs, in July, outlining what he wants from the pharma industry to cut expenses for consumers.
In many cases, Americans are paying higher prices for drugs that treat common conditions, while customers in foreign countries pay less.
FOX Business takes a look at the top five most expensive drugs by sales in the U.S. and what they are likely to cost consumers out of pocket. This rundown does not include coupons or special waivers some customers may be eligible for.
Merck’s Keytruda – Various cancers
KEYTRUDA is a prescription medicine used to treat multiple cancers called. (Merck )
$11,795 per dose every 3 weeks
Sales: $29.5 billion in global sales in 2024
Source: Merck
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRK | MERCK & CO. INC. | 84.42 | +0.51 | +0.61% |
Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic – Type 2 Diabetes
A customs investigator holds a package of Ozempic (weight loss syringe). (Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
$997.58 per weekly pen for a 28-day supply. Still, the company tells FOX Business “Most people don’t pay that price. In fact, nearly 90% of patients with insurance coverage for Ozempic® pay $25 or less.”
While approved for diabetes, it’s commonly used for weight loss but is not FDA approved for weight management.
Sales: Over $17 billion in 2024
Source: Novo Nordisk
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVO | NOVO NORDISK A/S | 48.47 | +0.22 | +0.45% |
Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro – Diabetes, weight loss
Mounjaro injectible pen is a drug has become popular for assisting with weight loss. (Sandy Huffaker for The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Around $1,080 per month for a 28‑day supply of four pens
Sales: $11.5 billion in global sales 2024
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLY | ELI LILLY & CO. | 926.27 | +18.72 | +2.06% |
Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer’s Eliquis – blood thinner
In this photo illustration, Eliquis. It is one of 10 prescription drugs that will be subject to Medicare price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act. The other drugs include Farxiga, Xarelto, Entresto, Jardiance, Enbrel, Januvia, Imbruvica, (Illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images) / Getty Images)
$500-$600 per month
Sales: $11.4 billion in 2024 sales
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMY | BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO. | 46.47 | +0.84 | +1.85% |
Gilead Science’s Biktarvy – HIV
Scott McCauley, an associate scientist at Gilead Sciences Inc., makes human proteins at the Gilead laboratory in Foster City, California. The company is the world’s biggest maker of AIDS drugs. (Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
$2,000-$3,000 per month
Sales: $10 billion in 2024
Source: Companies
