Blockbuster drug Humira finally faces lower-cost rivals

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/07/20/ [login to see] /humira-threatened-by-yusimry-low-cost-rival
Humira has been one of the world's top selling drugs for more than two decades. But thanks to some new copycats — including one that is being sold at entrepreneur Mark Cuban's online pharmacy — its reign could be coming to an end.

Humira is an injectable drug approved in 2002 that treats a range of illnesses, including Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The drug is popular with patients but has a list price of nearly $7,000 a month, according to GoodRx, a website that helps patients find discounts on pharmaceuticals.

Even with insurance, the drug, made by AbbVie, can be quite expensive.

There was no direct competition for years, mostly because the company protected the drug with a thicket of patents. Humira generated $21 billion in sales in 2022 alone, according to AbbVie's annual financial filing.