Emerging markets drive global growth

Without emerging healthcare markets like China and India, global pharma would be in a world of hurt. The global market for meds reached $712 billion last year, according to a new report from IMS Health, up $178 billion over five years before. But the rate of growth is slowing--6.4 percent compared with 11.8 percent in 2001. And without the big engines in Asia, that figure would be lower still. China, South Korea, and India grew by 25.7 percent, 10.7 percent, and 13 percent respectively. Russia and Turkey, 20.2 percent and 17.2 percent. The U.S.? Just 3.8 percent.

The IMS report also included the top 10 sellers worldwide (drum roll, please):

• Lipitor, $13.5 billion, Pfizer
• Plavix, $7.3 billion, Sanofi-Aventis
• Nexium, $7.2 billion, AstraZeneca
• Seretide/Advair, $7.1 billion, GlaxoSmithKline
• Enbrel, $5.3 billion, Amgen and Wyeth
• Zyprexa, $5 billion, Eli Lilly
• Risperdal, $4.9 billion, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)
• Seroquel, $4.6 billion, AstraZeneca
• Singulair, $4.5 billion, Merck
• Aranesp, $4.4 billion, Amgen

Note that Aranesp made the top 10 despite a 12.9 percent drop in sales on safety worries. And the biggest gainer of the year was Plavix, the anti-clotting med; it racked up a 20.5 percent increase in sales.

- see the item at Pharmalot

ALSO: In response to the growing overseas market, DIA is opening an office in India. Release

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