The costs of Humira and Enbrel are higher in the United States, compared with other industrialized countries included in the International Federation of Health Plans’ 2013 Comparative Price Report.
The average cost of a 1-month supply was $2,246 for Humira (adalimumab) in 2013 and $2,225 for Enbrel (etanercept). In Canada, which had second-highest cost for both drugs, Humira cost $1,950 per month and Enbrel cost $1,646 per month, the IFHP reported.
Switzerland had the lowest cost for both drugs among the countries included in the comparison: $881 for Humira and $1,017 for Enbrel.
In the United States, Humira is approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and plaque psoriasis. Enbrel is approved for RA, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis in patients aged 2 years or older, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and plaque psoriasis.
The IFHP comprises more than 100 member companies in 25 countries. For the survey, the price for each country was submitted by participating member plans. Some prices are drawn from the public sector, some from the private, and some from both. U.S. averages were calculated from more than 100 million claims in the Truven MarketScan Research databases.
