Best selling pharmaceutical drugs: Societies nowadays, especially those located in the Western hemisphere, rely on medication for a variety of reasons: the common headache, motion sickness, insomnia, and so on. Let’s face it: who hasn’t taken at least one pill in their lifetime? While the extent to which people have started to rely on medication might be somewhat worrisome, it is undeniable that some pharmaceutical drugs are crucial in the treatment of various illnesses.
The pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest and most lucrative ones around, with sales for prescription medication ranging in the billions. We would like to present you with a list of the best selling pharmaceutical drugs in history, worldwide, in a style similar to our coverage of the world’s biggest IPOs ever.
While some of the drugs listed in our top ten may have already lost their patents or are about to in the near future, the pills in our countdown have generated impressive sales around the world and remain the best selling in history. The figures used to rank the drugs are estimates for last year. The exact figure for each prescription drug is presumed to be higher, as not all countries release this type of information.
The drugs in our top ten are used for a variety of ailments, ranging from asthma to psychiatric disorders. Let’s take a look at the countdown of the best selling pharmaceutical drugs:
No. 10: Aranesp
Generic name: Darbepoetin alfa
Worldwide market: $4.4 billion
Company: Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN)
Use: synthetic erythropoietin used to treat anemia, especially in patients undergoing chemotherapy or with chronic renal failure.
No. 9: Singulair
Generic name: Montelukast
Worldwide market: $4.5 billion
Company: Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)
Use: in the treatment of asthma
No. 8: Seroquel
Generic name: Quetiapine
Worldwide market: $4.7 billion
Company: AstraZeneca plc (ADR) (NYSE:AZN)
Use: antipsychotic used for treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
No. 7: Risperdal
Generic name: Risperidone
Worldwide market: $5 billion
Company: Janssen Cilag
Use: antipsychotic used for treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and for certain symptoms associated with autism.
No. 6: Zyprexa
Generic name: Olanzapine
Worldwide market: $5.3 billlion
Company: Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY)
Use: antipsychotic used in treating schizophrenia and depression
No. 5: Enbrel
Generic name: Etanercept
Worldwide market: $5.4 billion
Company: Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Wyeth
Use: drug used in the treatment of immune diseases (psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and so on)
No. 4: Seretide
Generic name: Fluticasone and Salmeterol
Worldwide market: $7.2 billion
Company: GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK)
Use: bronchodilator used n the treatment of asthma
No. 3: Nexium
Generic name: Esomeprazole
Worldwide market: $ 7.27 billion
Company: AstraZeneca plc (ADR) (NYSE:AZN)
Use: for treating ulcers, reflux disease, and dyspepsia.
No. 2: Plavix
Generic name: Clopidogrel
Worldwide market: $7.3 billion
Company: Sanofi-Aventis
Use: a drug which inhibits the formation of blood clots, used to prevent thrombosis and ischemia of the arteries.
No. 1: Lipitor
Generic name: Atorvastatin
Worldwide market: $13.5 billion
Company: Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)
Use: cholesterol-lowering drug used in patients with hypertension and coronary heart disease, in order to reduce the risk for a heart attack.
