How much did US Humira prices rise before biosimilars?
AbbVie raised the price 27 times from 2003 to 2021 — a 470% increase to $77,586/year — while Enbrel followed each increase almost exactly in 'shadow pricing' rounds; from 2003 to 2021 Humira generated $170 billion worldwide, $107 billion in the US.
According to the House Oversight Committee, AbbVie raised Humira's price 27 times from 2003 to 2021, reaching $77,586 a year, a 470% increase from launch. Even after rebates, the net price rose 110% between 2009 and 2018. The committee found that Humira's main competitor, Amgen's Enbrel, did not constrain prices; the two companies engaged in "shadow pricing," following each other's increases almost exactly over dozens of rounds. From 2003 to 2021 Humira generated $170 billion in worldwide net revenue, including $107 billion from the US. Axios estimated that because US biosimilars were delayed, Americans would pay far more than Europeans for the same drug during that period. This history is why many see the market as evidence of patent system failure.