Pharmaceutical statistics

Pharmaceutical statistics 2004 show that the global pharmaceutical sales totalled US$550 billion in 2004, up 11.56% from US$493 billion in 2003. The growth of the global pharmaceutical industry has exhibited mixed trends after peaking in 2001. The growth rate fell in 2002, but recovered in 2003 only to record a fall in 2004.

The growth of the global pharmaceutical industry in 2004 should be seen against the backdrop of a growing number of drug withdrawals, lengthening drug development times and increasing cost-containment pressures.

Pharamaceutical statistics - Withdrawals

In September 2004, Merck announced the voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx, a Cox-2 inhibitor pain-killer for arthritis, because of mounting evidence gleaned from pharmaceutical statistics that the drug increased the risk of heart attack in some patients. In December 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration discontinued a clinical trail involving Pfizer’s Celebrex, another Cox-2 inhibitor. Pfizer has yet to withdraw Celebrex from the market. Both Pfizer and Merck now face a number of lawsuits.

Worldwide Trends

Pharmaceutical statistics 2004 show that developed countries still account for a large share of the global pharmaceutical sales although drugs consumption in developing countries such as China is growing fast. The share of North America, Japan and Europe in global pharmaceutical sales touched an impressive 88% in 2004.

Pharmaceutical statistics show that North America continues to be the largest market in the world, with total pharmaceutical sales of US$248 billion, followed by European Union with US$144 billion. Pharmaceutical statistics 2004 show that China was the fastest-growing pharmaceutical market in the world, with a sales growth of 28%. The US$9.5-billion Chinese pharmaceutical market is now the ninth largest in the world, but expected to become the eight largest in the coming years.

Growth Drivers

The key drivers behind the growth of the global pharmaceutical industry as shown by pharmaceutical statistics 2004 were

• Higher blockbuster sales,
• Biotechnology
• Growth of generics.

The global pharmaceutical industry has become synonymous with blockbuster drugs in the recent past. A drug qualifies as blockbuster drug only if its sales exceed US$1 billion. Pharmaceutical statistics 2004 show that 82 drugs qualified as blockbuster drugs, up from 65 in 2003. There has been some churn in the blockbuster drugs in 2004 with 20 branded drugs such as Bextra and Zometa achieving blockbuster status and three drugs, Celexa Diflucan and Premarin losing their blockbuster status.

In recent years, biotechnology has been driving the growth of blockbuster drugs. In 2004, biotechnology was responsible for as many as 11 blockbuster drugs.Pharmaceutical statistics confirm that biotechnology is fast emerging as a key driver of the global pharmaceutical industry. The biotech drugs accounted for 10% of global sales in 2004 and 27% of drugs in the active research and development pipeline. Not surprisingly, the market capitalisation of biotech companies rose by 16% from US$344 billion in 2003 to US$400 billion in 2004. According to Burrill & Company, a US merchant bank, biotech companies raised nearly US$11 billion in 2004 through collaborations and licensing agreements.

Growing cost-containment measures worldwide, meanwhile, are increasing demand for cheaper generics. The sales of generics increased sharply in countries such as the USA, Germany, Canada and the UK.

Leaders in the pharmaceutical statistics field

The leading therapeutic classes, according to pharmaceutical statistics 2004, include Statins (US$28.3bn), Oncology Therapies (US$23.8bn), Proton Pump Inhibitors (US$21.5bn), Antidepressants (US$20.3bn) and Antipsychotics (US$14.1bn).

The leading branded drugs worldwide, according to pharmaceutical statistics 2004, include Lipitor (atorvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), Plavix (clopidogrel), Nexium (esomeprazole) and Zyprexa (olanapine).

The leading companies, according to pharmaceutical statistics 2004, include Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co.

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