Magellan Rx Report: Medical Drug Spend Continues to Rise

From 2009 to 2019, commercial per-member per-month costs have almost doubled, from $17.28 to $32.73, an increase of 89%, according to the latest Medical Pharmacy Trend Report from Magellan Rx Management. The report also found that the cost of Remicade (infliximab), the top commercial drug, has grown two-and-a-half times during that same period.

For the first time, the top five PMPM commercial drugs have changed, with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) ranked in the No. 3 spot, displacing Avastin (bevacizumab), which fell to the seventh spot. Researchers found that out of 32 surveyed payers, 72% preferred Avastin’s biosimilars over the reference product (see chart below).

Angela Maas

Angela Maas

Angela has an extensive background of editing, reporting and writing for trade and consumer publications. She has written Radar on Specialty Pharmacy (formerly called Specialty Pharmacy News) since she joined AIS Health in 2005 and has broad knowledge of the various issues at play within the space. Before joining AIS Health, she was managing editor at Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit News Canada and managing editor at HemAware (a hemophilia publication), Lupus Living and Momentum (a multiple sclerosis publication). She has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in British literature from Arizona State University.

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