Second, it intends not to charge much more than manufacturing costs.
And while the cost of research is sometimes used to justify high prices, a 2016 study found that "there is no evidence of an association between research and development costs and prices rather, prescription drugs are priced in the United States primarily on the basis of what the market will bear."įor instance, EpiPen raised its price by 500% between 20, though that's definitely a more extreme example of such a change.įurther, when compared with global prescription drug prices, "there are many economic factors at work that lead the US to pay two-to-six times more for prescription drugs than other countries," John Clark, clinical associate professor at the College of Pharmacy and director of pharmacy services at Michigan Medicine, said in 2020. Those factors are also hidden within the complex ins and outs of drug manufacturing in the first place.Ĭost Plus Drugs has quite a different approach from the norm.įirst, the company aims to remove all the elusive complexities behind drug manufacturing. That means prices aren't necessarily dictated by what it took for drug manufacturers to gather ingredients and do the work to actually make the medication. My monthly generic meds would be less than half the price of what my insurance charges me. Cost Plus Drugs also sells the generic versions of a variety of mental health medications like Wellbutrin, used to treat depression, and Adapin, sometimes prescribed for anxiety.Ĭhecked Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs to see how much my prescriptions would be. The drugs treat conditions ranging from mild migraines to acid reflux to cancer to neurological disorders.
The medication ledger of the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (yes, that's the full name) is long. The generic version of Apriso - prescribed for patients with gastrointestinal disease and sold for $122.70 at standard pharmacies - goes for $36.60 for 30 pills.Īnd that's just a snippet. The generic version of Actos - prescribed for patients with diabetes and typically sold for $74.40 at standard pharmacies - is available for $6.60 for 30 pills, according to the website. Perusing the price tags will make your jaw drop. Life-saving prescription drugs in the United States are often too expensive, especially for people without insurance.īillionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban's new company, which publicly launched in January, is selling hundreds of generic, commonly used medications with absolutely massive cost cuts. A recent study calculated that Medicare could save billions with this business model. Mark Cuban started a company that offers generic versions of medications at extremely low prices.