FDA Approves Most Expensive Drug in History

A recent My Healthy Click article reported on the FDA approval of the most expensive medication in history. The drug, Zolgensma, is sold by Novartis and used to treat children under two who suffer from a rare genetic disorder called spinal muscular atrophy. The disorder only affects about 400 babies each year, but the effects are lethal. Children with the condition experience a deterioration of muscle control losing the ability to move, swallow, or breathe.

The medication is a one-time infusion that takes about an hour to administer. It costs $2.125 million, but Novartis said it would allow insurers to make annual payments of $425,000 for five years. The out-of-pocket costs for patients will obviously vary depending on their insurance plan.