Metrics 2.0: Global Pharmaceutical Sales Grew 7% to cross $600 Billion in 2005

Total global pharmaceutical sales grew 7% in 2005, at constant exchange rates, to $602 billion. In the ten major markets, audited growth was 5.7 percent in 2005, compared with 7.2 percent the previous year, according to IMS Health. This group accounts for 81 percent of the total global pharmaceutical market, but emerging markets including China, Korea, Mexico, Russia and Turkey, all experienced double-digit growth, outpacing global performance and signaling important shifts in the marketplace.

A promising range of drugs are now in Phase III clinical trials or pre-approval stage, including 96 oncology products, 51 products for treating cardiovascular disease, 37 for viral infections and HIV, and 28 for arthritis/pain.
Of the total pipeline, 27 percent of these products are biologic in nature—an all-time high. Biologics also experienced strong growth overall, adding $7.6 billion in sales to the global pharmaceutical market in 2005. Led by Amgen, Roche/Genentech and Johnson and Johnson, this sector grew 17.1 percent in 2005, generating sales of $52.7 billion.

North America, which accounts for 47 percent of global pharmaceutical sales, grew 5.2 percent, to $265.7 billion.
Europe experienced somewhat higher growth of 7.1 percent, to $169.5 billion.
Sales in Latin America grew an exceptional 18.5 percent to $24 billion
Asia Pacific (outside of Japan) and Africa grew 11 percent to $46.4 billion.
Japan, the world’s second largest market, also performed strongly in 2005, growing 6.8 percent to $60.3 billion.

The number of blockbuster products (those with sales exceeding the billion-dollar level) reached 94 in 2005 compared with 36 in 2000 and included 17 new members of the billion-dollar club. While six blockbusters are expected to lose their patents in 2006, the launch of new products and continued growth of those already on the market will result in an increasing number of blockbusters over the next five years.

In 2005 sales of generics in the top eight markets (U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K. and Japan) exceeded $55 billion, and are expected to experience double-digit growth over the next five years.

IMS forecasts that the total pharmaceutical market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 5-8 percent over the next five years. North America and Europe are each projected to grow at a 5-8 percent pace; Asia Pacific/Africa, 9-12 percent; Latin America, 7-10 percent; and Japan, 3-6 percent.

Business & Market Intelligence

Global Pharmaceutical Sales Grew 7% to cross $600 Billion in 2005