Note: This feature on the best-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023 will be updated regularly as new data becomes available. Stay tuned for our ongoing coverage of the pharma sector’s sales dynamics.

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Contrasting the boom of prior years, 2023 has seen a pronounced dip in the appetite for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. For instance, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine generated roughly $6.1 billion in the first half of 2023. Conversely, the Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine by Moderna generated about $2.1 billion in sales over the same period. A far cry from the commanding figures seen in prior years. For instance, Pfizer/BioNTech’s Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine generated $59 billion in revenue in 2021. Sales in 2022 were about $55.9 billion. Overall, the once-dominant COVID-19 product segment experienced some of the steepest losses in the first two quarters of 2023. Products such as Merck’s Lagevrio (molnupiravir) and Pfizer’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) also witnessed sharp declines in sales.
While the pharmaceutical industry saw varied growth across different segments, the revenue for the 241 drugs we reviewed increased slightly overall — ticking up 0.78% from Q1 to Q2. Still, several drugs bucked the trend with sizable growth. For instance, Pfizer and BMS’s cardiovascular drug Eliquis saw a decline of 51.29% from the first to the second quarter. In contrast, AbbVie’s immunology drug Humira continued its strong presence in the market, growing by 13.30%. Additionally, Sanofi and Regeneron’s eczema drug Dupixent was up 10.70% in the same time frame. Close behind was Merck’s oncology powerhouse, Keytruda, which registered an 8.21% increase.
In terms of overall bestsellers in the first half of 2023, Merck’s oncology powerhouse, Keytruda, led the pack with sales of $12.066 billion. Pfizer and BioNTech’s Comirnaty followed with $6.111 billion in collective revenue. AbbVie’s Humira and Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent also reported strong performances with $7.553 billion and $5.2648 billion, respectively. Additionally, Janssen’s Stelara and Gilead’s Biktarvy also stood out with sales surpassing $5.043 billion and $4.777 billion, respectively.
Filed Under: Drug Discovery, Immunology, Infectious Disease, Oncology
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