It has been reported that manufacturer AbbVie will increase the price of Humira® (adalimumab) by 9.7% in 2018.  According to Wells Fargo analyst David Maris, this price increase could add an additional $1.2 billion to the U.S. healthcare system’s drug costs.  Humira® currently generates over $10 billion in revenue in the U.S.  As a result of increases in pricing over the past five years, the cost of Humira® has more than doubled, making it likely to be the first drug to generate total sales of $20 billion or more globally.

There is currently no biosimilar competition for Humira® on the U.S. market, although both Amgen and Boehringer Ingelheim have received FDA approval for their adalimumab biosimilars (Amjevita® and Cyltezo®, respectively).  As previously reported in Big Molecule Watch, AbbVie and Amgen reached a settlement in September 2017 in which Amgen will not launch Amjevita® in the U.S. until January 31, 2023.  Boehringer Ingelheim’s Cyltezo® is currently the subject of additional patent litigation, and has not yet launched.