Lipitor and Zocor were the top two best-selling prescription medicines in 2004 for the fourth consecutive year. At $10.86 billion, No. 1 Lipitor generated more than double the worldwide sales by No. 2 Zocor. In 2004, 90 prescription drugs generated sales of at least $1 billion compared with 67 brands in 2003. Brands with more than $2 billion in sales increased from 23 in 2003 to 27 for last year. There were two newcomers among the top 10 best-selling drugs: Effexor and Plavix. The top 10 drugs of 2004 collectively generated about $47 billion in worldwide sales, with Lipitor becoming the first prescription drug to ever surpass the $10 billion sales barrier for one year (see chart on page 26).
Med Ad News’ brand of the year, Lipitor, has been the largest-selling prescription medicine for the past three years after being No. 2 in 2001 behind Zocor. This Pfizer Inc. megabrand generated sales growth of 17.7% for 2004. Available in the U.S. market since first-quarter 1997, Lipitor sales continue to grow, and the drug has several more years of U.S. patent protection (for more information about Lipitor, please see the brand of the year cover story).
Zocor, Merck & Co.’s statin for modifying cholesterol, generated $5.2 billion in sales, an increase of 3.7% compared with 2003. The product was launched in the United States in 1992. Zocor has lost patent protection in some overseas markets and will lose its market exclusivity in the United States in 2006. Zocor is available for 93% of managed-care patients, with 79% of the targeted managed-care contracts renewed through 2006...
