Humira will be world's best-selling drug

Humira, the anti-inflammatory blockbuster produced by Abbott Labs will be the top selling drug by 2016, according to a report by EvaluatePharma.

EvaluatePharma claim in a report that revenues for Humira will grow by nine percent annually for the next five years, meaning that its overall value will reach $10.1 billion in 2016, good enough for top spot. The report cites that Roche's cancer treatment Avastin (bevacizumab) would likely have been number one had it not been for some "clinical setbacks" recently. As a result, Avastin will likely record sales of around $8.9 billion in 2016.

Likely top 10 sellers in 2016

The report highlights the top ten sellers, citing that six other biotech products [Amgen’s Enbrel (etanercept) and Prolia (denosumab), Roche/Biogen Idec’s Rituxan (rituximab), the Swiss major’s Herceptin (bevacizumab), Johnson & Johnson/Merck & Co’s Remicade (infliximab) and Sanofi-Aventis’ Lantus (insulin glargine), while the other two spots are given to conventional small molecule drugs, AstraZeneca’s Crestor (rosuvastatin) and GlaxoSmithKline’s Advair/Seretide (salmeterol and fluticasone), "which is proving incredibly resilient to generic challengers".

Pfizer's cholesterol drug Lipitor (atorvastatin) is currently the world's best seller, but is likely to see sales decrease as soon as its patent expires. Despite this, the report highlights that Pfizer is still estimated to hold the top spot for sales, although Merck & Co, thanks to its $41 billion merger with Schering-Plough last year, will be close.

"This is the first time this data has been available and will provide a valuable insight into the new competitive pharma landscape beyond the patent cliff," said Jonathan de Pass, EvaluatePharma’s chief executive.

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