10. Zolgensma
Zolgensma has been given FDA approval to treat SMN1 gene-related spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The medication addresses spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a hereditary condition that causes atrophy and weakens muscles.
Children under the age of two are given Zolgensma for this reason.
But currently it is the most costly medication in the US right now, which costs $2.1 million for a single dose.
To comprehend the cost behind it could be noted by looking at how a medicine is made the reasons behind its creation.
Because Zolgensma is a medication that specifically addresses issues brought on by a child’s specific genetic makeup, it falls under the umbrella of personalised or precision medicine. Compared to traditional, one-size-fits-all treatments, precision medicine is thought to be significantly more effective at treating diseases.
9. Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid
GHB is sometimes referred to as 4-hydroxybutyric acid in some circles. During surgical procedures, it is most frequently utilized as an anaesthetic to dull patients’ perceptions of pain. Additionally, it is utilized to treat narcolepsy, insomnia, and other related conditions. As a byproduct of fermentation, GHB can also be found in trace amounts in foods such as beer, meat, and some types of tiny citrus fruits. On the other hand, this substance also has a more infamous application. It is notoriously known as the “Date Rape Drug” because of its widespread usage. This is due to the substance’s transparency, which makes it difficult to detect, as well as the fact that even little doses of it can cause a loss of the ability to make reasonable decisions, even when swallowed. The cost is about $660 per litre.
8. Black Printer ink
In addition to being used for writing and sketching, ink is also utilized in printing. It is a mixture of inorganic and organic pigments dissolved in a chemical solvent. You will find that you must utilize black ink for a few different things. Combining varnish and carbon black results in the production of black ink. It has a number of different waxes, lubricants, colours, and drying agents in its composition. These are broken up into little pieces and dispersed throughout the solvent, which makes it resistant to high temperatures. Because of all of these characteristics, black printer ink is one of the most costly liquids on the whole planet. The price of one cartridge ranges from $13 to $75. That comes out to $9,600 per gallon.
7. Mercury
Due to the poisonous nature of mercury, the element is no longer utilized in manufacturing as many medical instruments (like thermometers) as it formerly was. It is also the only liquid metal that remains liquid at ambient temperature, it can be used to carry electricity, and in its vapour state, it is utilized in street lighting and fluorescent bulbs. Despite this, it is still the only liquid metal that remains liquid. To obtain pure mercury, the ore must first be crushed into a powder and then heated to a temperature of 580 degrees Celsius when oxygen is present, making it so expensive. It costs as much as $3,400 a gallon to purchase.
6. Chanel No. 5
When it comes to perfume, there is nothing more legendary than Chanel No. 5, especially among women. It is one of the perfumes that have the most widespread recognition throughout the entire planet. It is essential not to forget that it is also the most costly, coming in at $26,000 per gallon. Chanel’s goal was to eliminate the pretension prevalent in the perfume industry at the time. Consequently, the Chanel bottle features clean lines, and the scent within is transparent. Before it evolved into the distinctive squared bottle that it is today, the bottle went through several different iterations. Over the years, the bottle and the perfume inside have evolved into cultural icons, particularly in the pop and art worlds.
5. Horseshoe Crab Blood
The horseshoe crab’s blood is an essential resource in the medicine industry. It is one of a kind in more ways than one, including its distinctive blue hue and its capacity to detect even trace amounts of bacterial contamination. Blood from horseshoe crabs has been shown to have a unique amebocyte, isolated for use in FDA research. To obtain the horseshoe crab’s blood, the creatures must first be captured and then “bled,” after which they are let free. It is available at a whopping cost of $15,850 per litre.
4. LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE(LSD)
LSD is a more frequent abbreviation for lysergic acid diethylamide, which you might know better as “acid.” LSD was manufactured in a laboratory starting with a chemical discovered in the ergot grain fungus. Further research into the psychedelic effects of lysergic acid led to the development of a fully-fledged, commercially viable hallucinogen. When you do the calculation, the highest price for it comes out to be equivalent to $123,000 per gallon. The extraction of lysergic acid diethylamide, a chemical that can alter one’s mood and needs specialized technological expertise, results in the world’s most costly liquid.
3. Cobra Venom
The king cobra is both the longest and the most poisonous snake that exists on our planet. One bite is all that is needed to end the life of an adult elephant. The price per gallon is almost $153,000. The fact that the fluid contains a powerful protein known as ohanin, which has the potential to be used as a cure for chronic pain, is one of the reasons why it costs so much. Another reason is the risk involved in handling a reptile that is capable of killing an elephant. In addition, it can be utilized as a therapy for breast cancer. Because of these characteristics, the price of the Cobra Venom is among the highest of any liquid on the planet.
2. Horse Semen
Although horse semen is not the most pleasant liquid on our list, it is still one of the most expensive substances per gallon due to its usefulness in horse breeding. The birthplace of the horse known as Big Star, born in the Netherlands, is considered the most important. Breeders place a value of around $4.7 million per gallon for their sperm. Because Big Star won two gold medals in showjumping, his genetic line is considered one of the most desirable. Big Star’s trainers are going to make the most of this opportunity while they still have it since a foal conceived from a few thousand dollars worth of semen has the potential to become worth hundreds of thousands of dollars within a year or two.
1. Scorpion Venom
The venom of the deathstalker scorpion, one of the most poisonous species, may cost between $130 and $139 million per gallon, making it the most expensive liquid in the world. How come the price is so astronomically high? Chlorotoxin, which binds to specific cancer cells and makes cancers in the human body easier to detect, is only one example of the potentially helpful chemicals found in scorpion venom that might lead to medicinal breakthroughs. Scientific investigations have also shown that scorpion venom effectively treats pain. The agonizing process of extracting the venom from the scorpion, sometimes known as “milking,” is another factor contributing to its high cost. A deathstalker sting is “a hundred times more excruciating than a bee sting,” according to a venom extractor.