Canada and France have the lowest prices of the four foreign countries. The Most Widely Used Breast Cancer Drug Has the Highest Price Differential Tamoxifen, sold under the brand-name Nolvadex, is the most widely used breast cancer drug in the United States, with over 100,000 prescriptions filled in 1999. Although Nolvadex has the highest price differential, the price differentials for the remaining four drugs are also significant. These price differences translate into large sums in dollar terms. A woman who is diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoes therapy involving prescription drugs will typically take hormonal therapies daily for up to five years.
Tamoxifen is a first-line hormonal therapy for breast cancer.
Some women who initially begin taking tamoxifen have a recurrence of the disease and switch to second-line therapies such as Arimidex. These women also face high prices. Femara also has a high price difference in dollars.