With the $30B Keytruda franchise leading, Oncology maintained its top position among the top 50 drugs in FY2024, but significant shifts occurred across therapeutic areas. Metabolic Diseases saw major growth, as GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic (+26%), Mounjaro (+124%), and Wegovy (+86%) reshaped the diabetes and obesity markets. Landmark trials from late 2023 to present also…
2024’s blockbusters: Top 50 drugs by sales
In 2024, Merck’s Keytruda continued its reign with nearly $29.5 billion in sales, posting solid 17.9% growth over 2023. However, the pharmaceutical landscape is shifting rapidly. The combined forces of GLP-1 receptor agonists used for diabetes and weight loss are mounting a serious challenge; Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic surged 25.8% to $17.5 billion, its sibling Wegovy…
10 leading pharma executives you need to know
Given the complexity of the pharmaceutical business and the generally slow pace of new drug development, it can be challenging to identify leading pharma executives. Compensation is not necessarily an accurate barometer of success. That said, CEOs’ annualized return over tenure as CEO over their term can hint at performance. In addition, rating sites like Glassdoor…
15 of the best pharma companies to work for
The pharmaceutical industry continues to see strong growth and is poised to have a compound annual growth rate of 13.7% from 2020 to 2027, according to projections from Grand View Research. The best pharma companies to work for continue to offer a number of advantages to skilled workers. Pharma positions remain in high demand, and…
Pharma’s top 20 R&D spenders in 2021
If 2020 underscored the importance of the pharma industry’s social importance, 2021 demonstrated the ability of R&D spenders to yield profitable commercialized products. But while strong demand for COVID-19 therapies in 2021 provided unprecedented revenue levels for a handful of Big Pharma companies, it didn’t result in substantial changes in R&D spending. (Look out for more insights…
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…
25 promising pipeline drugs
The pandemic has heightened interest in COVID-19 therapies, sometimes stealing attention from other pharmaceutical breakthroughs. But the pandemic has also served as a reminder that investment in new drugs can pay dividends while leading to a greater societal appreciation for the industry. A 2019 study published in International Health concluded that pharmaceuticals that have launched…
Pharma’s top 20 R&D spenders in 2020
The past year has been an unprecedented time for the pharmaceutical industry. On the one hand, the pandemic resulted in substantial delays to clinical trials while also forcing sponsors to rethink clinical trial design to protect participants. But on the other hand, the pandemic underscored the importance of the pharma industry in society. While the…
Pharma 50: Here’s how the world’s largest pharma companies are doing
The global pharmaceutical industry held up well during the pandemic, with 10 of the largest businesses only seeing a roughly –3% drop in revenue in 2020. Eight of the 10 even came out ahead. That’s one of the big takeaways from Drug Discovery & Development’s inaugural Pharma 50, a compilation of data on the largest…