$430.3 billion global spend on drugs
Global sales of prescription and over-the-counter drugs grew 8% to $430.3 billion last year, according to the annual IMS World Review report, which tracks about 90% of all prescription drugs and certain over-the-counter products in over 80 countries.
North America, Europe (EU) and Japan accounted for 85% of audited worldwide pharmaceutical consumption in 2002. North American sales grew 12% to $203.6 billion - over half of all global sales.
European (EU) sales grew 8%, to $90.6 billion, whilst the rest of Europe saw a sales growth of 9%, to $11.3 billion. Japan had a 1% growth, to $46.9 billion. In Latin American sales declined 10%, to $16.5 billion, blamed on economic conditions, while pharmaceutical sales growth in Asia (excluding Japan), Africa and Australia was $31.6 billion, up 11%.
The top-ten drug therapy classes accounted for 31% of the total audited world market. Three of these - cholesterol & triglyceride reducers, anti-psychotics and erythropoietin products - each grew more than 10% each, with anti-ulcerants up 9%.
The anti-ulcerant class, covering stomach ulcer treatments, saw $21.9 billion sales last year, keeping it in the lead worldwide, as in the last 13 years. Last year anti-ulcerants represented 6% of all audited global pharmaceutical sales. Losec/Prilosec (omeprazole), the world’s leading anti-ulcerant and number 3 in overall drugs sold, accounted for $5.2 billion of all sales in this class.
The second-ranked therapy class, cholesterol & triglyceride reducers, grew 12%, to $21.7 billion sales. Contributing to that growth was strong demand for Lipitor, a cholesterol treatment - and the top-selling drug worldwide. Lipitor sales were up 20%, to $8.6 billion. Antidepressants, the third-ranked therapy class, experienced 5% sales growth, to $17.1 billion.
The top-ten best-selling drugs worldwide accounted for $44.7 billion in sales last year, an 11% percent increase over 2001. Within the total audited world market, Lipitor is the top-selling drug in 2002, with $8.6 billion in sales, compared with $7.0 billion in 2001. The cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor is ranked second, up from third place in 2001, with $6.2 billion in sales and 13% growth. Losec/Prilosec, the second-ranked drug in 2001, was the #3-selling product last year, with $5.2 billion in sales, a 19% decline from 2001.
Of the ten best-selling drugs in 2002, the fastest growth, worldwide, was for Zyprexa, a schizophrenia and bipolar disorder treatment. Sales rose 21% to $4.0 billion.
Details: www.imshealth.com
This article was published on 04/30/2003