(Press-News.org) Most new prescription drugs are sold first in the U.S. before they reach other nations, but ultimately important medications are sold across most wealthy nations within about a year of first sale, according to a new RAND report.
Researchers say the study’s findings have implications for the debate over whether efforts to reduce high prescription costs in the U.S. could hurt patients’ access to the newest drug treatments.
“Other wealthy nations -- all of which have much lower drug prices compared to the U.S. -- see the introduction of new medications within a few quarters of when they are first sold globally,” said Andrew Mulcahy, author of the report and a senior health economist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “While the U.S. is often the first country where new drugs are sold, the most clinically and economically important new drugs are available broadly.”
U.S. policymakers are pursuing methods to reduce drug prices in the U.S, where the net prices for brand-name drugs are more than three times higher than in other wealthy nations. Critics of the cost-cutting efforts have suggested such policies could prevent or slow the sale of new medications in the U.S.
Previous studies have found that at least some new prescription drugs are sold only in select countries, and that drugs sold more broadly often are gradually introduced across countries.
Mulcahy used information from IQVIA MIDAS to examine the availability and timing of market entry for 287 new drugs launched between 2018 and 2022 in the U.S. and 26 comparison countries that belong to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Of 287 new drugs launched 2018 to 2022 in the U.S. and 26 other countries, 57% were sold in the U.S. and other countries by the end of 2022. Smaller shares were sold only in the U.S. (17%) and only in other countries (26%).
In 2022, more than 90% of the U.S. spending for new drugs was for medications also sold in other countries. The top 10 new drugs by spending in the U.S. in 2022 -- including those treating diabetes, autoimmune disorders and cancers -- all were sold in multiple other countries. New drugs sold only in the U.S. or only in other countries accounted for just modest spending shares.
In terms of timing, more than half of new drugs were sold first in the U.S. The gap between U.S. launch and sales in other countries was about one year on average. This varied across new drug and the specific comparison country, and drugs sometimes launched first outside the U.S.
While most drugs that have considerable revenue potential are sold in many countries, the marketing of new medications happens first in countries such as the U.S. where there is more latitude for manufacturers to set prices, according to the analysis.
“Important medications with large potential markets generally are sold across all wealthy nations within a year of when they are first introduced,” Mulcahy said. “Policymakers may want to consider this as they look for ways to lower prescription medication costs in the U.S.”
The study was sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The report, “Comparing New Prescription Drug Availability and Launch Timing in the United States and Other OECD Countries,” is available on the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and on www.rand.org.
RAND Health Care promotes healthier societies by improving health care systems in the United States and other countries.
END
New prescription drugs typically sold first in US
Study finds other wealthy nations see new medications within a year
2024-02-01
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Social inequity is linked to lower use of epidural in childbirth
2024-02-01
In a study of women in labor in the U. S., social inequity was associated with lower use of neuraxial analgesia -- an epidural or spinal pain reliever-- among non-Hispanic White women and, to a greater extent, among African American women, according to research at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S). The results are published online in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Neuraxial analgesia, which can be a combined spinal and epidural ...
For World Cancer Day, Alliance for Cancer Care Equity advocates to ‘close the care gap’ as observance is honored with congressional resolution
2024-02-01
WASHINGTON, D.C. [February 1, 2024] — For World Cancer Day, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), and the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) are announcing three key areas of policy focus as part of the Alliance for Cancer Care Equity (ACCE) joint collaboration, including advancing diversity in clinical trials, improving cancer screening and early detection, and increasing access to patient navigation. The organizations are also working with Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) to observe the day with a congressional ...
Applications open for School of Hologenomic Data Analysis For Agriculture
2024-02-01
The São Paulo School of Advanced Science on Hologenomic Data Analysis for Agriculture (Hologenome School) will be held from July 29 to August 09, 2024, in São Carlos (São Paulo state, Brazil) at the EMBRAPA Southeastern Livestock, Embrapa Instrumentation, decentralized units of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), and at the University of São Paulo’s Chemistry Institute of São Carlos (IQSC-USP).
Hologenome School will provide students and young researchers with an interdisciplinary view of hologenomics and state-of-the-art ...
Insulin prices in US are nine times higher than in other wealthy nations, study finds
2024-02-01
The gross price of insulin in the U.S. is more than nine times higher than in 33 high-income comparison nations, according to a new RAND report.
Although the cost differences of insulin between the U.S. and other nations varied depending on the comparison country and the type of insulin, U.S. prices were always higher -- often five to 10 times higher -- than those in other countries. The new report updates findings from earlier RAND work about U.S. insulin prices.
After accounting for rebates and other discounts often offered by drug manufacturers, the price of a unit of insulin remained 2.3 times higher in the ...
Diabetes and liver cancer — Stanford Medicine study suggests new screening guidelines
2024-02-01
For centuries, doctors have used their hands as essential diagnostic tools — exploring joints and palpating abdomens to assess a patient’s health. Often a cancer will reveal itself as a lump or unusual stiffness in a normally bouncy tissue or organ.
More recently, the relationship between stiffness and cancer has been documented through biophysical studies and clinical trials, particularly in liver and breast cancer. For example, stiffness is a primary hallmark of liver cirrhosis, which can progress to liver cancer.
Now researchers ...
Researchers take new ‘mixed reality’ headsets for a spin
2024-02-01
Among the buzziest consumer technologies right now are “mixed reality” or “spatial computing” headsets that convincingly blend views of the real world with digital content.
A key enabling technology behind these gizmos is passthrough video, which involves blocking out all light so users must rely on cameras on the headsets to see the external world around them via real-time video playing on tiny screens. The arrangement allows users to physically interact with their environments and go about daily activities but with added digital content displayed, ranging from familiar device apps to innovative gaming scenarios. ...
How leafcutter ants cultivate a fungal garden to degrade plants and provide insights into future biofuels
2024-02-01
By Maegan Murray
Scientists have spent decades finding ways to efficiently and affordably degrade plant materials so that they can be converted into useful bioproducts that benefit everyday life.
Bio-based fuels, detergents, nutritional supplements, and even plastics are the result of this work. And while scientists have found ways to degrade plants to the extent needed to produce a range of products, certain polymers such as lignin, which is a primary ingredient in the cell wall of plants, remain incredibly difficult to affordably break down without adding pollutants back into the environment. These polymers can be left behind as waste products with ...
UC Davis establishes bird flight research center
2024-02-01
Researching how bird flight can inform aircraft design is the goal of a new center to be established at the University of California, Davis.
Christina Harvey, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC Davis, and Michelle Hawkins, a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine and director of the California Raptor Center, are launching the bird flight research center with a nearly $3 million grant from the Department of Defense. The new center will utilize motion capture and photogrammetry ...
ADA releases updated recommendations to enhance radiography safety in dentistry
2024-02-01
CHICAGO, Feb. 1, 2024 – The use of lead abdominal aprons or thyroid collars on patients when conducting dental X-rays is no longer recommended, according to an expert panel established by the American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs. Additionally, dentists should take into consideration the diagnostic information needed from X-rays to benefit patient care or substantially improve clinical outcomes.
The Journal of the American Dental Association published the new recommendations today, which aim to improve radiation ...
Cheating death: How cancer cells escape
2024-02-01
Cell death is fundamental to life and, thus, healthy aging. In the realm of cellular biology, ferroptosis (a form of programmed cell death) has emerged not only as a focal point of research for its potential in eliminating cancer cells, but also its role in a plethora of other diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, eye diseases such as Retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, as well as ischemia, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, acute kidney injury and inflammation.
While studies of other forms of cell death such as apoptosis focus largely on ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Hydrogen sourcing could make or break Romania’s green steel ambitions, study finds
Disconnected from math, students call for real-world relevance in RAND’s first-ever youth survey
Three Hebrew University researchers win prestigious ERC Advanced Grants for pioneering work
Illuminated changes: Enhancing D-lactic acid output with UV irradiation
From food to textile – agricultural waste can become the clothes of the future
Claire Foldi advances eating disorder neuroscience research
Yes, in my back yard: people who live near large-scale solar projects are happy to have more built nearby
Easily attach nanoparticles like toy blocks for industrial use!
LEGO improves maths and spatial ability in the classroom
Despite overall progress, low birthweight rates still high in certain Indian states
Train teachers on how to get parents involved in children’s learning, say researchers
Evolution made us cheats, now free-riders run the world and we need to change, new book warns
Report outlines blueprint to grow Australia’s bioeconomy
Medicaid cuts in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" could undermine the coverage, financial well-being, medical care, and health of low-income Americans, and lead to more than 16,500 medically-preventab
Groundbreaking TACIT algorithm offers new promise in diagnosing, treating cancer
Long-term study reveals Native seeding controls annual, but not perennial, invasive plants in sand grassland restoration
Printed energy storage charges into the future with MXene inks
Exposure to low levels of arsenic in public drinking water linked to lower birthweight, preterm birth, study finds
AMS Science Preview: Gun violence & weather; NOAA flights improve hurricane forecasts; atmospheric rivers and radio waves
New strategy for the treatment of severe childhood cancer
Krill fishing in the Antarctic: overlaps with consequences
Link found between mitochondria and MS brain damage
More family doctors near retirement, raising concern about future of primary care
Feeding smarter: mannanase improves broiler growth even with less soy and energy
Sports arenas — the importance of politics, fan response and public money
Mapping the genetic landscape of yellow catfish for sustainable aquaculture
Effect of respiratory phase on three-dimensional quantitative parameters of pulmonary subsolid nodules in low-dose computed tomography screening for lung cancer
USC-led team sheds light on dark matter by simulating twins of our Milky Way galaxy
Researchers identify previously uncharacterized gene necessary for DNA repair
Clearing out the clutter: how people retain important information from memories
[Press-News.org] New prescription drugs typically sold first in USStudy finds other wealthy nations see new medications within a year