One hundred billion dollars. That is the combined revenue of the top 10 pharmaceuticals in 2020, marking the first year in which this threshold has been crossed. All but one of these pandemic-proof mega-blockbusters achieved growth in what has been a remarkable year, where COVID-19 has ravaged the world, revealing – and in some cases exacerbating – existing inequalities. In the biopharma sphere, this has translated into the rich getting richer, with physicians favoring familiarity and new launches being scuppered by grounded salesforces.
Humira remains firmly at the top of the rankings, with a considerable albeit narrowing distance to Keytruda and Revlimid, which again make up the top three positions. Eliquis and Stelara both achieved notable growth and improved their rankings to fourth and fifth, respectively, contrasting the slide of Opdivo down to seventh.
Eylea consolidated its position within the top 10, alongside perennial contender Xarelto, with respectable performances for such mature brands, both hitting the 10-year mark. The remaining spots are taken up by newcomers Biktarvy, blazing a trail within the HIV market, and Imbruvica, whose rise has been altogether more gradual. Dropping out of last year’s top 10 are Avastin, Enbrel, and Rituxan, with biosimilar-shaped bites taken out of their revenues.
2020 rank (2019)
Drug
Company
2020 sales ($m)
Annual growth
1 (1)
Humira
AbbVie, Eisai
20,311
3.5%
2 (2)
Keytruda
Merck & Co
14,381
29.7%
3 (3)
Revlimid
BMS
12,106
11.9%
4 (5)
Eliquis
9,168
15.6%
5 (9)
Stelara
J&J, Mitsubishi Tanabe
7,976
21.0%
6 (6)
Eylea
Regeneron, Bayer
7,909
4.9%
7 (4)
Opdivo
BMS, Ono
7,890
-1.4%
8 (17)
Biktarvy
Gilead
7,259
53.2%
9 (11)
Xarelto
J&J, Bayer
6,923
8.9%
10 (14)
Imbruvica
AbbVie, J&J
6,612
16.3%
Source: Datamonitor Healthcare, February 2021