Losec the top antiulcerant drug, despite
the generic threat has maintained solid growth at 21%,
recording sales of $4.4billion. Prozac, Seroxat and Zoloft,
three antidepressants in the top 10 products, grew, 10%,
24% and 19% respectively , reflecting the importance of
this market. The real star in the top 10 is Lipitor, a
late entry into the market in its class but in less than
2 years is ranked number 5 world-wide with sales of $1.9billion.
Co-marketing with Pfizer, helped Warner Lambert reach
its target audience very quickly with a favourable drug
profile in the Cholesterol Reducing drug class. This drug,
together with its new antidiabetic Rezulin, (up 97%over
last year) has helped Warner Lambert climb to 15th in
the rankings with a 37% increase. Pfizer grew 19%, fuelled
by Viagra sales that hit $608m in its first 8 months on
the market.
Other new drugs that put in notable achievements
are Lilly’s Zyprexa with sales of $1.28billion, up 95%
and Merck’s cardiovascular product Cozaar which still
grew 45%, after 94% growth on the previous year, despite
more Angiotensin II Antagonists hitting the market.
Other relatively new launches in the
asthma market have not fared as well. None of the leukotriene
antagonists have quite achieved their potential in a market
still dominated by Inhaled steroids and beta II antagonists.
Merck's Singulair has had a promising start reaching $152m
in its first year of launch. Zeneca's Accolate has had
slower growth reaching $126m after 2 year’s on the market.
In the cancer market Rhone Poulenc Rorer’s
docetaxel, a major competitor to Bristol-Myres Squibb’s
Taxol, has seen sales double to $189m, while the antiviral
Viracept has single-handed brought Agouron into the top
100 Corporations worldwide with sales of $359m in 1998.
Top 6 New Product Launches 1998.