ICER says price hikes on 7 drugs were made without proof of new benefits, costing the U.S. $5.1 billion

During 2017 and 2018, drug makers raised prices on seven widely used medicines by large amounts, but without any new clinical evidence to justify the increases, leading patients and insurers in the U.S. to spend an added $5.1 billion, according to a new analysis.

For instance, AbbVie (ABBV) boosted the price on its best-selling Humira rheumatoid arthritis treatment by 15.9%, after accounting for estimated rebates and other discounts, which caused Americans to spend an extra $1.86 billion than they would have if the company had not raised the price during that two-year period.