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Ranked: America’s Most Common Drugs by Medicare Spending
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Key Takeaways
- Eliquis tops 2023 Medicare spending at $18.3 billion, more than twice the second-ranked drug (Ozempic).
- An aging population—and related conditions like blood clots—are reshaping U.S. healthcare costs.
- The top 35 drugs by Medicare spending are produced by just 20 companies, highlighting the market’s concentration and pricing power.
From diabetes injectables to blockbuster blood thinners, a handful of drugs account for a sizable share of Medicare’s pharmacy bill.
This visualization ranks the most common drugs by total Medicare spending in 2023, sourced from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
It tracks every claim, dosage, and dollar flowing through Medicare Part D, the federal prescription-drug benefit.
Blood Thinners Are America’s Most Common Drug
Eliquis (generic name: Apixaban) alone racked up $18.3 billion in Medicare spending in 2023, nearly double the next drug, Ozempic.
Alongside Xarelto, anticoagulants accounted for over $24 billion in 2023.
| Rank | Drug Name | Company | Total Medicare Spending (2023) |
Prevents / Treats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eliquis | BMS Primarycare | $18,273,451,967 | Blood clots |
| 2 | Ozempic | Novo Nordisk | $9,194,048,435 | Diabetes, weight loss |
| 3 | Jardiance | Boehringer Ing. | $8,839,935,063 | Diabetes |
| 4 | Trulicity | Eli Lilly & Co. | $7,363,856,224 | Diabetes |
| 5 | Xarelto | Janssen Pharm. | $6,309,246,823 | Blood clots |
| 6 | Trelegy Ellipta | Glaxosmithkline | $4,455,884,010 | COPD |
| 7 | Humira(Cf) Pen | Abbvie US LLC | $4,419,828,188 | Arthritis, Crohn's disease |
| 8 | Farxiga | Astrazeneca | $4,342,182,307 | Diabetes |
| 9 | Januvia | Merck Sharp & D | $4,090,836,821 | Diabetes |
| 10 | Revlimid | Celgene/BMS | $3,859,804,789 | Blood cancers & bone marrow disease |
| 11 | Entresto | Novartis | $3,430,441,590 | Heart failure |
| 12 | Lantus Solostar | Sanofi-Aventis | $3,157,233,282 | Diabetes |
| 13 | Biktarvy | Gilead Sciences | $3,152,256,269 | HIV infection |
| 14 | Stelara* | Janssen Biotech* | $2,987,778,600 | Psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease |
| 15 | Xtandi | Astellas Pharma | $2,601,510,278 | Prostate cancer |
| 16 | Myrbetriq | Astellas Pharma | $2,510,288,600 | Overactive bladder |
| 17 | Imbruvica | Pharmacyclics, | $2,371,893,292 | Blood cancers |
| 18 | Mounjaro | Eli Lilly & Co. | $2,361,384,157 | Diabetes, weight loss |
| 19 | Enbrel Sureclick | Amgen | $2,054,858,499 | Various kind of arthritis |
| 20 | Ibrance | Pfizer US Pharm | $2,020,903,604 | Breast cancer |
| 21 | Symbicort | Astrazeneca | $2,004,295,918 | Asthma, COPD |
| 22 | Jakafi | Incyte Corporat | $1,940,765,069 | Bone marrow disorders |
| 23 | Novolog Flexpen | Novo Nordisk | $1,875,605,627 | Diabetes |
| 24 | Ofev | Boehringer Ing. | $1,837,061,150 | Pulmonary fibrosis |
| 25 | Linzess | Allergan Inc. | $1,825,245,843 | IBS, constipation |
| 26 | Invega Sustenna | Janssen Pharm. | $1,821,418,393 | Schizophrenia |
| 27 | Pomalyst | Celgene/BMS | $1,709,288,465 | Blood cancers |
| 28 | Ingrezza | Neurocrine Bios | $1,705,132,723 | Huntington’s disease |
| 29 | Lenalidomide | Amneal Pharmaceuticals / Sun Pharma / Teva Pharmaceuticals | $1,681,292,157 | Blood cancers & bone marrow disease |
| 30 | Rybelsus | Novo Nordisk | $1,665,906,943 | Diabetes, weight loss |
| 31 | Restasis | Allergan Inc. | $1,501,664,198 | Chronic dry eye |
| 32 | Creon | Abbvie US LLC | $1,466,866,603 | Pancreatic enzyme replacement |
| 33 | Arexvy | Glaxosmithkline | $1,387,933,256 | RSV prevention |
| 34 | Breo Ellipta | Glaxosmithkline | $1,373,600,714 | Asthma, COPD |
| 35 | Vyndamax | Pfizer US Pharm | $1,349,659,508 | Amyloid heart disease |
Their rise reflects both an aging population and expanding preventative treatment for stroke and atrial fibrillation.
With almost four million beneficiaries, Eliquis is prescribed to roughly one in 10 Part D enrollees.
Related: See the 25 countries that are projected have the most seniors in 2050.
Diabetes and Weight-Loss Therapies Surge in America
Four GLP-1 and SGLT2 diabetes drugs—Ozempic, Jardiance, Trulicity, and Farxiga—collectively totaled $29.7 billion.
Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro also double as weight-loss aids, driving demand beyond traditional type-2 diabetes patients.
This (sortable table) lists cost per dose for the top 35 drugs.
| Rank | Drug Name | Company | Generic Name | # of Beneficiaries | Medicare Spending Per Dosage Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eliquis | BMS Primarycare | Apixaban | 3,927,848 | $10 |
| 2 | Ozempic | Novo Nordisk | Semaglutide | 1,464,468 | $356 |
| 3 | Jardiance | Boehringer Ing. | Empagliflozin | 1,882,768 | $20 |
| 4 | Trulicity | Eli Lilly & Co. | Dulaglutide | 938,731 | $483 |
| 5 | Xarelto | Janssen Pharm. | Rivaroxaban | 1,324,165 | $18 |
| 6 | Trelegy Ellipta | Glaxosmithkline | Fluticasone/Umeclidin/Vilanter | 1,050,583 | $11 |
| 7 | Humira(Cf) Pen | Abbvie US LLC | Adalimumab | 61,474 | $3,750 |
| 8 | Farxiga | Astrazeneca | Dapagliflozin Propanediol | 993,909 | $20 |
| 9 | Januvia | Merck Sharp & D | Sitagliptin Phosphate | 843,391 | $19 |
| 10 | Revlimid | Celgene/BMS | Lenalidomide | 36,967 | $878 |
| 11 | Entresto | Novartis | Sacubitril/Valsartan | 663,587 | $12 |
| 12 | Lantus Solostar | Sanofi-Aventis | Insulin Glargine,Hum.Rec.Anlog | 1,198,294 | $30 |
| 13 | Biktarvy | Gilead Sciences | Bictegrav/Emtricit/Tenofov Ala | 83,843 | $133 |
| 14 | Stelara* | Janssen Biotech* | Ustekinumab | 22,930 | $26,818 |
| 15 | Xtandi | Astellas Pharma | Enzalutamide | 28,658 | $146 |
| 16 | Myrbetriq | Astellas Pharma | Mirabegron | 769,978 | $15 |
| 17 | Imbruvica | Pharmacyclics, | Ibrutinib | 17,100 | $487 |
| 18 | Mounjaro | Eli Lilly & Co. | Tirzepatide | 370,203 | $540 |
| 19 | Enbrel Sureclick | Amgen | Etanercept | 34,287 | $1,812 |
| 20 | Ibrance | Pfizer US Pharm | Palbociclib | 16,015 | $753 |
| 21 | Symbicort | Astrazeneca | Budesonide/Formoterol Fumarate | 984,400 | $39 |
| 22 | Jakafi | Incyte Corporat | Ruxolitinib Phosphate | 14,041 | $298 |
| 23 | Novolog Flexpen | Novo Nordisk | Insulin Aspart | 588,526 | $39 |
| 24 | Ofev | Boehringer Ing. | Nintedanib Esylate | 20,444 | $221 |
| 25 | Linzess | Allergan Inc. | Linaclotide | 565,088 | $18 |
| 26 | Invega Sustenna | Janssen Pharm. | Paliperidone Palmitate | 70,988 | $2,344 |
| 27 | Pomalyst | Celgene/BMS | Pomalidomide | 12,739 | $1,089 |
| 28 | Ingrezza | Neurocrine Bios | Valbenazine Tosylate | 29,191 | $268 |
| 29 | Lenalidomide | Amneal Pharmaceuticals / Sun Pharma / Teva Pharmaceuticals | Lenalidomide | 20,403 | $682 |
| 30 | Rybelsus | Novo Nordisk | Semaglutide | 285,693 | $32 |
| 31 | Restasis | Allergan Inc. | Cyclosporine | 492,479 | $11 |
| 32 | Creon | Abbvie US LLC | Lipase/Protease/Amylase | 185,325 | $9 |
| 33 | Arexvy | Glaxosmithkline | Rsvpref3 Antigen/As01e/PF | 4,390,151 | $316 |
| 34 | Breo Ellipta | Glaxosmithkline | Fluticasone/Vilanterol | 556,799 | $7 |
| 35 | Vyndamax | Pfizer US Pharm | Tafamidis | 7,589 | $735 |
Their high list prices—Ozempic averages $356 per dose—illustrate how novel biologics multiply spending even with smaller patient counts.
Related: See where Americans skipped going to the doctor (even when they had to) in 2023.
Cancer and Autoimmune Biologics are Expensive Drugs
Revlimid, Humira, and Stelara each exceed $3 billion despite treating fewer than 100,000 beneficiaries each.
Revlimid’s $878 per dose and Stelara’s staggering $26,818 underscore why biologics dominate specialty-drug budgets.
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