Some of the biggest blockbusters known to the pharma industry have dropped
off the patent cliff and tumbled into the brutal land of generic therapies,
where low-priced competition lays sales to waste. The once-mighty Lipitor is
finished as a big earner, as we see in our new list of the 15 top-selling
pharmaceuticals in 2012.
In place of the small molecule standbys, biologics like Humira have risen to the top.
In place of the small molecule standbys, biologics like Humira have risen to the top.
The year isn't quite wrapped, of course. But analysts at Evaluate Pharma
have come up with estimates on how the top 15 drugs will perform this year. And
a team of writers--Tracy Staton, Alison Bryant, Eric Palmer and myself--divvied
up the list to explore how this year's crop of best-selling drugs made it into
the elite group.
It's hard to overestimate the importance of the rise of biologics like
Humira. Operating with considerably improved periods of patent protection,
companies now control products that should remain on top for years to come.
That's why Abbott can spin off its pharma operations as AbbVie at the end of
this year, confident that it has a megablockbuster on hand to fund operations
for quite some time.
Even after Enbrel finds itself with biosimilar competition, the effect on
Amgen will be nothing like what small molecule makers face when generics rush
in to chop prices to a fraction of their branded levels. The competition will
have to execute big late-stage studies and win approval on their own accord.
And that will limit price reductions on copycats to come, preserving market
clout--and sales--for aging therapies.
Barring development of new megablockbusters, this list is likely to remain
stable for some time. That's positive for the companies and their investors. It
will also help fund major R&D operations around the globe. And the drive to
improve performance should continue to drive innovation.
1.
Humira
2.
Enbrel
4.
Remicade
5.
Rituxan
6.
Crestor
7.
Lantus
8.
Herceptin
9.
Avastin
10. Lipitor
11. Abilify
12. Plavix
13. Cymbalta
14. Gleevec
15. Spiriva
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