The survival rate of human beings can be approximately estimated at 10%, despite extreme carefulness with the general standard of living including food intake, hygiene, and exercise. The most minor health issues may be provided with free treatment by government-owned hospitals in some continents, whereas in most cases, the expenses that come with treating rare diseases are usually more expensive, which most government hospitals cannot expense for their citizens, leaving them at the mercy of overpriced private hospitals or the fate of their illnesses.

It is not unusual for special drugs used in treating rare diseases to be more expensive than some self-acquired luxuries or investments combined, after all as the old saying goes “health is wealth.” However, research shows that there are still some people who would rather risk the deadly fate of their diseases than lavish money on some expensive medication with no life guarantees.

Here are top 3 of the world’s most expensive medications in dollar to naira equivalent and their uses:

1. Glycera ($1.2 Million-N434,124,000.00): It contains Alipogene tiparvovec developed by uniQure company in Netherlands, and is used to treat lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD), a rare inherited disorder which can cause severe pancreatitis. As of 2016, it was reported that only one person has been treated with the drug so far.
2.  Luxturna ($850,000-N307,504,500.00): It contains Voretigene neparvovec which is a gene therapy used for the treatment of Leber’s congenital amaurosis. It was developed by Spark Therapeutics and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia USA and is considered to be the most expensive drug in the world following the low demand for Glycera.
3.  Ravicti ($793,000-N286,883,610.00): It contains Glycerol phenylbutyrate and is manufactured by Hyperion Therapeutics now known as Horizon Pharma based in Dublin, Ireland. It is used to treat people with urea cycle disorder which causes toxic ammonia in the blood and tissues and can lead to permanent brain damage, coma, or death.

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