The most expensive drug in Medicare Part D is Eliquis (apixaban), a blood thinner whose total cost reached $20.77 billion in 2024, the newest year of official Medicare data [1]. Ozempic followed at $12.97 billion and Jardiance at $11.43 billion [1]. DataPorium data show the 25 costliest drugs added up to $123.0 billion in 2024, while total Part D spending across 3,625 drugs was $288.7 billion, up 4.7% from 2023 [1][2].
Which drugs cost Medicare Part D the most in 2024?
The table ranks drugs by total cost in calendar year 2024 (data through December 31, 2024, updated in DataPorium on October 2, 2026). Total cost is what the drug plan, the patient and others paid for all claims of the drug. A claim is one prescription or refill. Beneficiaries are the Medicare patients who filled the drug. Cost per beneficiary is not published in the data: DataPorium computed it here as total cost divided by beneficiaries [1].
| Rank | Drug (generic) | Maker (ticker) | Total cost 2024 | Change vs 2023 | Claims | Beneficiaries | Cost per claim | Cost per beneficiary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eliquis (apixaban) | BMY | $20.77 billion | +13.7% | 24,054,695 | 4,423,497 | $863 | $4,695 |
| 2 | Ozempic (semaglutide) | NVO | $12.97 billion | +41.1% | 10,413,554 | 1,951,892 | $1,245 | $6,643 |
| 3 | Jardiance (empagliflozin) | Boehringer Ingelheim (no ticker) | $11.43 billion | +29.4% | 11,364,702 | 2,542,517 | $1,006 | $4,497 |
| 4 | Mounjaro (tirzepatide) | LLY | $6.33 billion | +168.3% | 5,103,556 | 894,243 | $1,241 | $7,084 |
| 5 | Xarelto (rivaroxaban) | JNJ | $6.23 billion | -1.2% | 6,658,485 | 1,320,644 | $936 | $4,718 |
| 6 | Trulicity (dulaglutide) | LLY | $5.45 billion | -25.9% | 4,303,409 | 788,414 | $1,267 | $6,915 |
| 7 | Trelegy Ellipta (inhaler) | GSK | $5.29 billion | +18.8% | 6,248,740 | 1,268,461 | $847 | $4,173 |
| 8 | Farxiga (dapagliflozin) | AZN | $5.29 billion | +21.8% | 5,632,811 | 1,268,791 | $939 | $4,168 |
| 9 | Humira(Cf) Pen (adalimumab) | ABBV; CVS (Cordavis) | $4.33 billion | -2.1% | 490,135 | 63,749 | $8,828 | $67,877 |
| 10 | Revlimid (lenalidomide) | BMY | $4.18 billion | +8.3% | 239,782 | 38,856 | $17,426 | $107,538 |
| 11 | Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) | NVS | $4.02 billion | +17.2% | 3,897,762 | 795,090 | $1,031 | $5,055 |
| 12 | Januvia (sitagliptin) | MRK | $3.81 billion | -6.9% | 4,025,920 | 827,991 | $946 | $4,597 |
| 13 | Biktarvy (HIV combination) | GILD | $3.45 billion | +9.6% | 840,473 | 92,204 | $4,111 | $37,470 |
| 14 | Xtandi (enzalutamide) | Astellas (4503.T) | $3.40 billion | +30.8% | 255,605 | 35,359 | $13,301 | $96,154 |
| 15 | Stelara (ustekinumab) | Not linked in the data | $3.38 billion | +13.1% | 132,814 | 24,746 | $25,424 | $136,454 |
| 16 | Vyndamax (tafamidis) | PFE | $2.83 billion | +109.8% | 109,373 | 13,925 | $25,882 | $203,290 |
| 17 | Lenalidomide (generic) | Several generic makers | $2.64 billion | +57.1% | 197,995 | 30,339 | $13,334 | $87,019 |
| 18 | Enbrel Sureclick (etanercept) | AMGN | $2.34 billion | +13.7% | 295,897 | 38,573 | $7,895 | $60,564 |
| 19 | Myrbetriq (mirabegron) | Astellas (4503.T) | $2.30 billion | -8.5% | 3,451,931 | 762,665 | $665 | $3,011 |
| 20 | Imbruvica (ibrutinib) | ABBV | $2.27 billion | -4.4% | 146,351 | 15,343 | $15,478 | $147,638 |
| 21 | Pomalyst (pomalidomide) | BMY | $2.15 billion | +25.8% | 98,604 | 14,317 | $21,796 | $150,117 |
| 22 | Ofev (nintedanib) | Boehringer Ingelheim (no ticker) | $2.09 billion | +13.6% | 161,640 | 23,916 | $12,902 | $87,199 |
| 23 | Jakafi (ruxolitinib) | INCY | $2.08 billion | +7.3% | 130,858 | 15,707 | $15,913 | $132,575 |
| 24 | Ibrance (palbociclib) | PFE | $2.03 billion | +0.7% | 131,483 | 15,915 | $15,471 | $127,815 |
| 25 | Linzess (linaclotide) | ABBV | $1.98 billion | +8.6% | 2,505,475 | 631,800 | $791 | $3,136 |
Source: DataPorium Medicare Drug Spending, official Medicare Part D data for 2024 and 2023 [1]; maker links from DataPorium's Part D spending by manufacturer [2]. Change vs 2023 compares total cost in the same data for both years.
What stands out
Two kinds of drugs top the list. Mass-market drugs for heart disease and diabetes, such as Eliquis, Ozempic, Jardiance and Farxiga, cost under $1,300 per claim but are filled millions of times. Specialty drugs for cancer and rare diseases, such as Revlimid, Stelara and Vyndamax, are filled far less often but cost $17,000 to $26,000 per claim [1].
The fastest growth among the 25 came from Mounjaro, which rose from $2.36 billion in 2023 to $6.33 billion in 2024, and Vyndamax, which went from $1.35 billion to $2.83 billion [1][4][5]. Trulicity moved the other way, falling 25.9% to $5.45 billion [1]. Eliquis, already the largest, still added $2.50 billion in one year, as claims rose from 21.19 million to 24.05 million [3].
Some drugs dropped out of the top 25 entirely. Lantus Solostar, an insulin pen, cost $3.16 billion in 2023 and $0.70 billion in 2024, a fall of 77.9% [1].
Which Part D drugs cost the most per claim?
Ranking by cost per claim alone puts rare-disease drugs used by a few hundred patients at the top. To keep the list to drugs that many people use, the table below includes only drugs with at least 100,000 claims in 2024 and ranks them by total cost divided by claims [1].
| Rank | Drug | Maker (ticker) | Claims 2024 | Cost per claim | Cost per beneficiary | Total cost 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vyndamax | PFE | 109,373 | $25,882 | $203,290 | $2.83 billion |
| 2 | Stelara | Not linked in the data | 132,814 | $25,424 | $136,454 | $3.38 billion |
| 3 | Revlimid | BMY | 239,782 | $17,426 | $107,538 | $4.18 billion |
| 4 | Jakafi | INCY | 130,858 | $15,913 | $132,575 | $2.08 billion |
| 5 | Imbruvica | ABBV | 146,351 | $15,478 | $147,638 | $2.27 billion |
| 6 | Ibrance | PFE | 131,483 | $15,471 | $127,815 | $2.03 billion |
| 7 | Calquence | AZN | 122,332 | $13,910 | $113,042 | $1.70 billion |
| 8 | Lenalidomide (generic) | Several generic makers | 197,995 | $13,334 | $87,019 | $2.64 billion |
| 9 | Xtandi | Astellas (4503.T) | 255,605 | $13,301 | $96,154 | $3.40 billion |
| 10 | Brukinsa | BeOne Medicines (ONC) | 130,699 | $13,186 | $95,615 | $1.72 billion |
| 11 | Ofev | Boehringer Ingelheim (no ticker) | 161,640 | $12,902 | $87,199 | $2.09 billion |
| 12 | Humira(Cf) Pen | ABBV; CVS (Cordavis) | 490,135 | $8,828 | $67,877 | $4.33 billion |
| 13 | Venclexta | ABBV | 107,863 | $8,730 | $43,065 | $0.94 billion |
| 14 | Cosentyx Sensoready (2 Pens) | NVS | 102,416 | $7,981 | $57,598 | $0.82 billion |
| 15 | Enbrel Sureclick | AMGN | 295,897 | $7,895 | $60,564 | $2.34 billion |
Source: DataPorium Medicare Drug Spending, 2024 Part D data; drugs with 100,000 or more claims [1]. Cost per beneficiary computed by DataPorium.
Vyndamax (tafamidis) is the only drug in this group above $200,000 per beneficiary in 2024: $2.83 billion for 13,925 patients, about 7.9 claims per patient [1][5]. Stelara (ustekinumab) cost $25,424 per claim, and its total cost rose 13.1% in 2024 to $3.38 billion [1][6]. At the other end of the list, Humira(Cf) Pen had the most claims of the 15, 490,135, at $8,828 each [1].
The 100,000-claim floor keeps out drugs with very few users. Strensiq, for example, cost $100,702 per claim in 2024, but for only 3,419 claims [1].
Which drug companies receive the most Part D spending?
The next table adds up 2024 Part D spending for all drugs of each listed company, using the manufacturer named in the official data and DataPorium's reviewed link from manufacturer to listed company (current owner). Manufacturers without a clear listed owner are left out, so private companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim do not appear [2].
| Rank | Company (ticker) | Drugs | Part D spending 2024 | Claims | Spending per claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) | 34 | $29.44 billion | 24,672,131 | $1,193 |
| 2 | AbbVie (ABBV) | 78 | $21.23 billion | 15,232,870 | $1,394 |
| 3 | Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | 50 | $18.71 billion | 8,865,632 | $2,111 |
| 4 | Novo Nordisk (NVO) | 45 | $18.57 billion | 19,107,540 | $972 |
| 5 | Eli Lilly (LLY) | 61 | $16.69 billion | 16,728,320 | $998 |
| 6 | GSK (GSK) | 61 | $14.06 billion | 24,754,500 | $568 |
| 7 | AstraZeneca (AZN) | 37 | $13.87 billion | 11,441,321 | $1,212 |
| 8 | Pfizer (PFE) | 125 | $9.57 billion | 5,694,132 | $1,680 |
| 9 | Novartis (NVS) | 58 | $9.43 billion | 4,523,312 | $2,085 |
| 10 | Amgen (AMGN) | 43 | $8.75 billion | 3,928,555 | $2,227 |
| 11 | Merck (MRK) | 43 | $6.30 billion | 6,024,839 | $1,046 |
| 12 | Gilead (GILD) | 24 | $6.29 billion | 1,513,338 | $4,158 |
Source: DataPorium Medicare Prescriptions, Part D spending by listed company, 2024 [2]. Spending per claim computed by DataPorium.
Bristol-Myers Squibb ranks first mainly because of Eliquis, which accounts for $20.77 billion of the company's $29.44 billion [2][3]. The five largest companies together received $104.6 billion. Generic makers fill far more prescriptions for far less money: Teva (TEVA) had 98.2 million claims for $5.26 billion, or $54 per claim [2].
How did total Part D drug spending change?
Total Part D spending in the data rose from $194.1 billion in 2020 to $275.8 billion in 2023 and $288.7 billion in 2024, an increase of 48.7% over four years [2]. Claims grew more slowly, from 1.62 billion in 2023 to 1.71 billion in 2024, up 5.9% [2].
Eliquis shows the same pattern on its own: Part D spending on the drug rose from $9.94 billion in 2020 to $20.77 billion in 2024, while the average cost per claim went from $669 to $863 [3].
Eliquis cost Medicare Part D $20.77 billion in 2024, more than any other drug, and Mounjaro was the fastest grower in the top 25, up 168.3% in one year.
How we ranked the drugs
- Data: official Medicare Part D prescriber and drug data for calendar years 2023 and 2024 (data through December 31, 2024), as loaded in DataPorium on October 2, 2026 [1][2].
- Unit: each drug is a brand or generic product name as listed in the data. Different forms of one medicine can be separate rows; Humira(Cf) Pen, for example, is listed apart from other Humira forms [1].
- Total cost: paid by the plan, the patient and others for all claims. Prescriber rows with fewer than 11 claims are not published, and beneficiary counts are blank when fewer than 11, so totals and per-beneficiary figures slightly understate the full amounts [1].
- Company totals: from the separate Part D spending by manufacturer data, which differ slightly from the prescriber totals (Eliquis: $20.769 billion in the prescriber data, $20.775 billion in the spending data) [2][3].
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive drug for Medicare Part D?
By total cost, Eliquis (apixaban): $20.77 billion in 2024 for 24.05 million claims and 4.42 million patients [1]. By cost per claim among widely used drugs (100,000+ claims), Vyndamax at $25,882 [1].
How much does Medicare spend on Ozempic?
Ozempic cost Part D $12.97 billion in 2024, up 41.1% from 2023, for 10.41 million claims and 1.95 million beneficiaries [1].
How much did Medicare Part D spend on drugs in 2024?
$288.7 billion across 3,625 drugs and 1.71 billion claims, up 4.7% from $275.8 billion in 2023 [2].
Which company gets the most Medicare Part D money?
Bristol-Myers Squibb, with $29.44 billion in 2024, followed by AbbVie at $21.23 billion and Johnson & Johnson at $18.71 billion [2].
Sources & References
- [1] DataPorium Medicare Drug Spending (Part D drugs ranked by total cost, 2024 and 2023)
- [2] DataPorium Medicare Prescriptions (Part D spending by drug, manufacturer, listed company and year)
- [3] DataPorium Eliquis (Medicare Part D cost, claims and spending by year)
- [4] DataPorium Mounjaro (Medicare Part D cost and claims by year)
- [5] DataPorium Vyndamax (Medicare Part D cost and claims by year)
- [6] DataPorium Stelara (Medicare Part D cost and claims by year)
