Pharmaceutical statistics

Pharmaceutical statistics show that in 2003, the global pharmaceutical market was worth about US$492 billion (audited sales being US$466 billion).  The market grew at annual rate of 14 per cent over the previous year. Despite difficult economic conditions and pressure from the regulators, media and healthcare consumers, it recorded a better growth rate than other industries in 2003.

North America, the European Union and Japan (the major markets in the pharmaceutical industry) accounted for 88 per cent of worldwide pharmaceutical sales in 2003 with North America alone accounting for 50 per cent.  Drug sales in North America were up 11 per cent from US$204 billion to US$230 billion. The European Union posted good sales growth of 8 per cent with drug sales moving up from US$90 billion to US$115 billion.The rest of Europe grew at a faster rate of 14 per cent to US$14 billion.Japan recorded slow growth of 3 per cent with drug sales moving up from US$47 billion to US$52 billion.  Sales in Latin America rebounded after recording a decline during 2002, increasing by 6 per cent to US$17 billion. Drug sales in Asia amounted to US$37 billion according to pharmaceutical statistics, up 12 per cent.

The collective share of North America, the European Union and Japan has increased from US$337 billion in 1999 to US$466 billion in 2003. The North American pharmaceutical market grew by nearly 70 per cent to US$230 billion from US$136 billion in 1999, accounting for almost half the global sales in 2003.In the same period, the European market grew by 28.2 per cent from US$90 billion in 1999 to US$115 billion in 2003. It is the second largest market in the world. The Japanese market, meanwhile, has declined by one per cent during the same period. Sales in the Latin American region have declined to US$17 billion in 2003 from US$22 billion in 1999. In 2003, however, this region did show a growth of 10 per cent over the previous year.

Pharmaceutical statistics show that cardiovascular drugs including cholesterol-lowering drugs dominat sales, accounting for 13 per cent of total sales in 2003 - US$61 billion by value. Pharmaceuticals for disorders of the central nervous system, an area that is poorly understood, accounted for 12 per cent of global sales - US$57 billion by value. This segment is gaining in importance as new drugs for treating depression and schizophrenia come to the market.
Anti-epileptic drugs rose by 22 per cent followed by anti-psychotics with a growth rate of 20 per cent. Cholesterol, triglycerides and erythropoietin drugs grew by 10 per cent. The strong growth of the anti-epileptics knocked ACE inhibitors out of the top ten rankings.

The ten best-selling drugs worldwide accounted for US$48 billion of sales in 2003, a 14 per cent increase over 2002. Pfizer's 'Lipitor' was the top-selling drug in 2003 - a far second was another statin, Merck's 'Zocor'. The drug with the highest growth rate was AstraZeneca's GERD therapy 'Nexium' (esomeprazole). It debuted in the top ten charts at seventh place, with sales up by a spectacular 62 per cent.  Of the major pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer retained its top slot in 2003 with revenues of US$39 billion followed by GSK, Aventis, Merck and Johnson & Johnson.

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