Why is the unit price of aprocitentan close to 800 yuan per box?

As a new antihypertensive drug, the price of aprocitentan is close to 800 yuan per box, mainly due to its research and development costs and market positioning. New drugs go through a long and complex process from research and development to launch, involving a large number of clinical trials and approvals, all of which require huge investments. Drug pricing often takes into account research and development investment, production costs and market competition, so the unit price of newly launched drugs is relatively high.

In addition, aprexitentan has shown unique efficacy advantages in the treatment of drug-resistant hypertension and complex cases, and belongs to the category of innovative drugs. The unique efficacy and limited alternatives of innovative drugs give them strong bargaining power in the market, and manufacturers usually set corresponding prices based on their clinical value. This pricing strategy is designed to ensure that drug developers can continue to invest in research and development and promote the emergence of more new drugs.

There is no medical insurance support for aprecitentan in the domestic market, and patients need to purchase it at their own expense, which also makes the drug price appear higher. Compared with drugs covered by medical insurance, the prices of new drugs not covered by medical insurance are usually more significant. At the same time, lower-priced versions of generic drugs exist in overseas markets. For example, the generic version of aprecitentan produced in Laos is priced at only a few hundred yuan, providing another price option.

Overall, the price of aprecitentan is close to 800 yuan per box, which reflects its research and development costs, clinical value and medical insurance policies and other factors. As time goes by, if the drug can be included in medical insurance or more competitive products appear on the market, the price is expected to gradually decrease, benefiting more patients.

Reference materials:https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB15059