Could AbbVie-Allergan lean on skyrocketing Vraylar scripts in a post-Humira world?

Amidst AbbVie's $63 billion takeover of Allergan, much has been made of likely business drivers like Botox and eye drug Restasis. But another Allergan med—the next-gen antipsychotic Vraylar—is cleaning up in prescriptions, and it could offer another offset for AbbVie's aging megablockbuster Humira.

Total prescriptions for Vraylar jumped 81% in November from the same period a year ago, according to IQVIA, providing even more hope that the drug could be nearing the blockbuster threshold for Allergan. 

In the third quarter, Vraylar hit $234 million in sales, a 70% increase year-over-year, only a few months after scoring an FDA approval in bipolar depression. That nod made Vraylar the first drug cleared for the full spectrum of bipolar I.

It could also help fuel peak sales of around $1.16 billion in 2026, according to Credit Suisse analyst Vamil Divan. In fact, at $234 million per quarter, it's almost there already.

While Vraylar obviously isn't expected to hit the $20 billion-a-year high of AbbVie's immunology giant Humira, rapid growth in sales could help take some of the sting away from the expected hit to that drug post-merger.

RELATED: Allergan puts Vraylar on blockbuster track with new bipolar depression nod