[Updated May 21, 2024.] 2023 may not go down as the brightest year for the pharma sector, but the entry of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic (semaglutide) into the ranks of top-selling drugs like Keytruda, Dupixent, and Eliquis signals a new era in the treatment of metabolic disease. Novo Nordisk’s sales jumped by more than one-third in…
New study sheds light on Eliquis and Xarelto switching
For patients with an elevated stroke risk, switching anticoagulant medications could be a health gamble. Those who change from Eliquis (apixaban) to Xarelto (rivaroxaban) could face almost double the risk of stroke or severe bleeding. Conversely, sticking with Eliquis or transitioning from rivaroxaban to Eliquis appears to be a safer option. Those are key takeaways…
The 50 best-selling pharmaceuticals of 2022: COVID-19 vaccines poised to take a step back
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the best-selling pharmaceuticals, leading to shifts in the list with Pfizer and BioNTech’s Comirnaty surpassing AbbVie’s Humira for the No. 1 spot in 2021. That momentum continued in 2022, with Pfizer and BioNTech jointly raking in $59.1 billion in revenue from the sales of the COVID-19…
50 of 2021’s best-selling pharmaceuticals
Drug sales in 2021 hit record heights, with a handful of pharmaceutical companies handsomely rewarded for creating COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. This roundup of best-selling pharmaceuticals in 2021 highlighted a banner year for the industry. Pfizer alone raked in $36.9 billion in sales from the Comirnaty vaccine it developed jointly with BioNTech. Demand for the…
Xarelto wins two additional pediatric indications
Janssen (NYSE:JNJ) has received FDA approval for two new indications for the blockbuster blood thinner Xarelto (rivaroxaban). The first new indication relates to treating venous thromboembolism (VTE, or blood clots) and reducing the risk of recurrent VTE in pediatric individuals from birth to less than 18 years after at least five days of parenteral anticoagulant…
NIH starts Phase 3 trial of blood clotting treatments for COVID-19
The NIH announced today that it has launched the last of three Phase 3 clinical trials to evaluate blood thinners to prevent life-threatening blood clots in adults with COVID-19. As part of the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) initiative, the trial will study the use of Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer’s Eliquis blood thinner in…