Is anyone taking the world’s priciest drugs?

Every time a new multimillion-dollar drug is introduced to the market, headlines trumpet the cost. And while eye-popping price tags look exorbitant on paper, the reality behind these figures is much more nuanced.

The most expensive drugs are gene therapies, typically one-and-done treatments aimed at rescuing patients from a lifetime of repeated medical interventions. Prices are set based on the overall savings throughout a patient’s journey and intended to represent the high value of the drugs and their long road to development.