According to a recent article in Forbes.com (2/27/06) that was based on figures obtained from IMS Health, a healthcare information company, the top 20 prescription drugs in the U.S. in 2005, with combined sales of $64.6 billion, were as follow:
- LIPITOR – Pfizer – Treats high cholesterol: $8.4 billion
- ZOCOR – Merck –Treats high cholesterol: $4.4 billion
- NEXIUM – AstraZeneca – Treats heartburn: $4.4 billion
- PREVACID – Abbott & Takeda – Treats heartburn: $3.8 billion
- ADVAIR DISKUS – GlaxoSmithKline – Treats asthma: $3.6 billion
- PLAVIX – Bristol-Meyers Squibb & Sanofi-Aventis – Treats heart disease $3.5 billion
- ZOLOFT – Pfizer – Treats depression: $3.1 billion
- EPOGEN – Amgen – Treats anemia: $3.0 billion
- PROCRIT – Johnson & Johnson – Treats anemia: $3.0 billion
- ARANESP – Amgen – Treats anemia: $2.8 billion
- ENBREL – Amgen & Wyeth – Treats rheumatoid arthritis: $2.7 billion
- NORVASC – Pfizer – Treats high blood pressure: $2.6 billion
- SEROQUEL – AstraZeneca – Treats schizophrenia: $2.6 billion
- EFFEXOR XR – Wyeth – Treats depression: $2.6 billion
- ZYPREXA – Eli Lilly – Treats: schizophrenia: $2.5 billion
- SINGULAIR – Merck – Treats asthma and allergies: $2.5 billion
- PROTONIX – Wyeth – Treats heartburn: $2.4 billion
- RISPERDAL – Johnson & Johnson – Treats schizophrenia: $2.3 billion
- NEULASTA – Amgen – Treats chemotherapy side effects: $2.2 billion
- REMICADE – Johnson & Johnson – Treats rheumatoid arthritis: $2.2 billion