Medicare’s top 15 costliest drugs in 2015

CMS recently released data identifying the costliest drugs to Medicare in 2015, and Gilead Sciences’ hepatitis C treatment Harvoni topped the list.

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According to the data, the eight Medicare Part D drugs with the highest total spending each accounted for more than $2 billion in gross Part D spending last year. The five costliest Medicare Part B drugs in 2015 are the same as in 2014, and combined they totaled more than $7 billion in spending, according to CMS.

Here are the 15 drugs that Medicare spent the most on in 2015.

1. Harvoni (hepatitis C treatment) — $7.03 billion 

2. Lantus; Lantus Solostar (diabetes)  — $4.36 billion

3. Crestor (high cholesterol) — $2.88 billion

4. Advair Diskus (asthma) — $2.27 billion

5. Spiriva (COPD) — $2.19 billion

6. Januvia (diabetes) — $2.13 billion

7. Revlimid (anemia) — $2.08 billion

8. Nexium (gastroesophageal reflux disease) — $2.01 billion

9. Eylea (age-related macular degeneration) — $1.81 billion

10. Lyrica (nerve and muscle pain) — $1.77 billion

11. Humira; Humira Pen (rheumatoid arthritis) — $1.66 billion

12. Abilify (mental/mood disorders) — $1.57 billion

13. Rituxan (cancer) — $1.56 billion

14. Xarelto (blood clots) — $1.52 billion

15. Enbrel (Tumor Necrosis Factor inhibitor) — $1.39 billion 

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