Cancer Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapy
Checkpoint inhibitors, kinase inhibitors, and other precision cancer treatments. The highest-cost drug class by average price per claim.
How Cancer Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapy Work
Checkpoint inhibitors (Keytruda, Opdivo) unleash the immune system to attack cancer by blocking proteins (PD-1/PD-L1) that cancer cells use to hide. Kinase inhibitors (Ibrance, Xtandi) block specific enzymes that drive cancer cell growth. IMiDs (Revlimid) modify the immune system and directly kill cancer cells. CDK4/6 inhibitors (Ibrance, Kisqali) stop cancer cells from dividing.
Cancer Immunotherapy & Targeted Therapy — Ranked by Cost Per Claim (Cheapest First)
| # | Drug | Generic Name | Cost/Claim | Generic? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venclexta | Venetoclax | $6,784.00 | No |
| 2 | Kisqali | Ribociclib | $7,621.00 | Yes |
| 3 | Xtandi | Enzalutamide | $9,331.00 | Yes |
| 4 | Calquence | Acalabrutinib | $10,105.00 | Yes |
| 5 | Imbruvica | Ibrutinib | $10,445.00 | Yes |
| 6 | Ibrance | Palbociclib | $10,816.00 | Yes |
| 7 | Darzalex | Daratumumab | $11,346.00 | Yes |
| 8 | Jakafi | Ruxolitinib | $11,432.00 | No |
| 9 | Tagrisso | Osimertinib | $11,591.00 | No |
| 10 | Revlimid | Lenalidomide | $12,786.00 | No |
| 11 | Opdivo | Nivolumab | $15,821.00 | Yes |
| 12 | Pomalyst | Pomalidomide | $17,250.00 | No |
| 13 | Keytruda | Pembrolizumab | $18,176.00 | No |
Potential Savings
Cancer drugs average $11,461 per claim — 50x the average for all drugs. Generic competition is limited but growing: Ibrance went generic in 2024, and Revlimid faces generic entry. Medicare spent $92.5B on cancer drugs tracked here.
Key Facts
- 1.Cancer drugs average $11,461 per claim — the highest of any condition
- 2.Keytruda ($18,176/claim) is the world's best-selling drug at $25B+ annual revenue
- 3.Medicare spent $92.5 billion on the 81 cancer drugs tracked on this site
- 4.Keytruda/Opdivo were excluded from IRA negotiation due to orphan drug provisions
- 5.Patent cliff: Revlimid, Ibrance, Xtandi, and Imbruvica all face generic competition by 2027
- 6.81 cancer drugs tracked, averaging $1.14B in Medicare spending each
Frequently Asked Questions
The cheapest option is Generic ibrutinib (Imbruvica biosimilar) at $6500 per claim. Cancer drugs average $11,461 per claim — 50x the average for all drugs. Generic competition is limited but growing: Ibrance went generic in 2024, and Revlimid faces generic entry. Medicare spent $92.5B on cancer drugs tracked here.
Checkpoint inhibitors (Keytruda, Opdivo) unleash the immune system to attack cancer by blocking proteins (PD-1/PD-L1) that cancer cells use to hide. Kinase inhibitors (Ibrance, Xtandi) block specific enzymes that drive cancer cell growth. IMiDs (Revlimid) modify the immune system and directly kill cancer cells. CDK4/6 inhibitors (Ibrance, Kisqali) stop cancer cells from dividing.
All spending data comes from the CMS Medicare Part D Drug Spending Dashboard. Patent and generic information comes from the FDA Orange Book. Prices shown are average cost per 30-day supply claim under Medicare Part D.