A new way to read the price: measuring global affordability of selected NOACs.

OBJECTIVES

Access to medicines is an important component of health systems, yet their affordability differs across countries. Novel oral anticoagulants are widely used in the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic disorders, but their prices may vary between national markets. This study aimed to develop and test a methodological approach for comparing the prices of selected NOACs across countries using purchasing power parity (PPP) adjustments.

METHODS

Retail prices for Pradaxa®, Xarelto®, and Eliquis® were collected. The analysis covered 12 countries. Prices were expressed in nominal US$ and PPP-adjusted International Dollars (Int$). Drug-specific indexes inspired by the Big Mac Index were calculated to compare the exchange rate implied by drug prices with the PPP exchange rate, using the United States as the reference market.

RESULTS

The United States showed the highest prices for all three medicines in both nominal and PPP-adjusted comparisons. Lower prices were observed across the analysed European countries. Drug index calculations showed all countries' prices were undervalued relative to the United States, ranging from -58.52% to -87.19.

CONCLUSION

Combining PPP-adjusted prices expressed in International Dollars with drug-specific indexes offers an additional perspective for international medicine price comparisons and helps interpret differences in relative price levels across markets.