Roche to hit top in cancer sales by 2012

Which Big Pharmas will make the biggest leaps forward in cancer drug sales over the next five years? Roche, Genentech and Merck, says a market research report from URCH Publishing. By 2012, Roche is expected to overtake Amgen as the biggest seller of oncology products, the report says. And only the three aforementioned firms are expected to post double-digit growth in sales of their cancer portfolios.

In contrast, Sanofi-Aventis, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are expected to go on the decline, with falling sales of their oncology drugs over the next five years. That's in part because only five of the top 10 cancer products in 2007 are forecast to increase sales through 2012. The remaining five--Amgen's Aranesp and Epogen, J&J's Eprex/Procrit, and Sanofi's Taxotere and Eloxatin--are expected to suffer.

Overall, URCH says, the global market for cancer meds will grow to $103.9 billion by 2012, an annual growth rate of 9.4 percent. With other drug sales flat or falling, it's no wonder so many drugmakers are scrambling to grow their oncology portfolios.

- read the URCH release
- check out the Biotech market share report

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