Bridging the cost divide: comparing veterinary and human dermatologic drug pricing in the US

The high cost of medications in human healthcare remains a pressing concern, particularly for novel therapies such as biologics and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. While these medications have markedly improved the management of chronic dermatologic conditions, their high cost continues to pose a significant barrier to widespread access. In contrast, veterinary JAK inhibitors and biologics are readily accessible at a fraction of the cost. We sought to quantify the price disparities between human and veterinary formulations of dermatologic medications and explore potential reasons for these differences. We collected pricing data for various dermatologic drugs, including antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics, antihistamines, antiinflammatory agents, topicals, biologics, and JAK inhibitors. Pricing data for human formulations were obtained using the top five GoodRx listings. Veterinary pricing was sourced from VetRx Direct, Pet VM, and Chewy. Most human formulations were up to two times more expensive than veterinary formulations. However, biologics and JAK inhibitors exhibited extreme discrepancies, costing up to 71 times more than their veterinary counterparts. Our findings highlight the need for increased transparency in drug pricing and policy reforms aimed at reducing excessive markups, particularly for biologics and targeted treatments.