Zolgensma is one of those modern drugs that sounds unreal until you see the number.
It’s a one-time gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic condition linked to problems with the SMN1 gene that can lead to severe muscle weakness in babies and young children.
In the U.S., Zolgensma is approved for pediatric patients under 2 years old with mutations in SMN1.
The list price was set at $2.125 million for a single treatment when it launched in 2019.
That price briefly made headlines as the “most expensive drug” at the time, and it kicked off a bigger conversation that still hasn’t ended.
Either way, Zolgensma became a symbol of where healthcare is heading. We’re entering an era where some of the most powerful treatments aren’t taken daily, they’re delivered once, and the cost looks more like a house than a prescription.