Top 100 Selling Drugs Through September Reported
( Updated November 5, 2013 ) The cholesterol-lowering drug rosuvastatin (Crestor, AstraZeneca) was the nation's most prescribed drug over the course of last 12 months, through September, whereas the antipsychotic aripiprazole (Abilify, Otsuka Pharmaceutical) racked up the highest sales — almost $6.4 billion, according to a new report from research firm IMS Health on the top 100 selling drugs in the United States.
New prescriptions and refills of rosuvastatin totalled 23.7 million, edging out the hypothyroid medication levothyroxine (Synthroid, AbbVie) at 23.4 million scripts. Similar to several other drugs in the top 100 list for prescription volume, rosuvastatin also did well in sales, ranking fifth, with $5.3 billion in sales for the 12-month period. In contrast, levothyroxine ranked 60th in sales despite being heavily prescribed.
The 10 top-selling drugs reflect hardly any change since calendar year 2012, according to IMS Health.
Table 1. Top 100 Drugs by Total Sales
| Rank | Drug (brand name) | Sales from October 1, 2012, through September 30, 2013 |
| 1 | Abilify | $6,391,050,009 |
| 2 | Nexium | $6,086,840,503 |
| 3 | Cymbalta | $5,432,152,672 |
| 4 | Humira | $5,352,226,238 |
| 5 | Crestor | $5,318,542,115 |
| 6 | Advair Diskus | $5,114,309,392 |
| 7 | Enbrel | $4,673,141,322 |
| 8 | Remicade | $4,058,128,532 |
| 9 | Copaxone | $3,788,545,102 |
| 10 | Neulasta | $3,537,574,204 |
| 11 | Rituxan | $3,298,174,917 |
| 12 | Spiriva Handihaler | $3,002,430,799 |
| 13 | Atripla | $2,912,549,658 |
| 14 | Januvia | $2,825,267,039 |
| 15 | Lantus Solostar | $2,778,551,072 |
| 16 | Avastin | $2,690,641,154 |
| 17 | Oxycontin | $2,637,737,756 |
| 18 | Lantus | $2,515,137,058 |
| 19 | Lyrica | $2,324,979,374 |
| 20 | Truvada | $2,278,264,056 |
| 21 | Epogen | $2,214,743,254 |
| 22 | Celebrex | $2,183,115,416 |
| 23 | Diovan | $2,137,198,878 |
| 24 | Herceptin | $1,933,127,070 |
| 25 | Namenda | $1,900,527,136 |
| 26 | Gleevec | $1,874,835,782 |
| 27 | Lucentis | $1,794,896,441 |
| 28 | Vyvanse | $1,709,395,031 |
| 29 | Zetia | $1,652,217,183 |
| 30 | Suboxone | $1,554,971,998 |
| 31 | Symbicort | $1,525,311,056 |
| 32 | Levemir | $1,447,476,053 |
| 33 | Avonex | $1,347,267,771 |
| 34 | Novolog | $1,330,347,675 |
| 35 | Novolog Flexpen | $1,317,460,587 |
| 36 | Seroquel XR | $1,219,959,533 |
| 37 | Alimta | $1,200,106,356 |
| 38 | Viagra | $1,197,351,402 |
| 39 | Humalog | $1,142,653,387 |
| 40 | Nasonex | $1,133,088,155 |
| 41 | Flovent HFA | $1,059,584,589 |
| 42 | Cialis | $1,049,194,980 |
| 43 | Procrit | $1,047,927,348 |
| 44 | Victoza 3-Pak | $1,041,143,228 |
| 45 | Gilenya | $1,025,284,670 |
| 46 | Isentress | $1,017,809,988 |
| 47 | Neupogen | $972,494,037 |
| 48 | Reyataz | $968,298,671 |
| 49 | Janumet | $967,434,639 |
| 50 | Prezista | $966,946,830 |
| 51 | Orencia | $935,878,810 |
| 52 | Vesicare | $911,521,673 |
| 53 | Dexilant | $894,524,903 |
| 54 | Vytorin | $891,763,516 |
| 55 | Incivek | $887,957,848 |
| 56 | Renvela | $881,552,606 |
| 57 | Stelara | $877,987,496 |
| 58 | Pradaxa | $858,826,893 |
| 59 | Aranesp | $845,994,421 |
| 60 | Synthroid | $843,417,754 |
| 61 | Aciphex | $830,120,367 |
| 62 | Benicar | $827,715,511 |
| 63 | Humalog Kwikpen | $827,032,048 |
| 64 | Lunesta | $822,435,175 |
| 65 | Evista | $822,388,181 |
| 66 | Xolair | $800,269,022 |
| 67 | Betaseron | $799,930,543 |
| 68 | Prevnar 13 | $798,920,861 |
| 69 | Xarelto | $778,365,806 |
| 70 | Sensipar | $763,591,668 |
| 71 | Synagis | $763,505,631 |
| 72 | Xgeva | $762,361,168 |
| 73 | Ventolin HFA | $750,667,410 |
| 74 | Xeloda | $747,260,480 |
| 75 | Invega Sustenna | $733,468,004 |
| 76 | Zyvox | $729,817,082 |
| 77 | Zostavax | $718,659,204 |
| 78 | Zytiga | $708,708,539 |
| 79 | Gardasil | $707,586,150 |
| 80 | Sandostatin LAR | $696,306,293 |
| 81 | Combivent | $693,216,113 |
| 82 | Avonex Pen | $691,914,191 |
| 83 | Tamiflu | $684,771,568 |
| 84 | Benicar HCT | $683,792,459 |
| 85 | Treanda | $681,499,807 |
| 86 | Afinitor | $680,545,083 |
| 87 | Focalin XR | $673,003,743 |
| 88 | Bystolic | $665,919,495 |
| 89 | Erbitux | $658,837,596 |
| 90 | Tarceva | $651,732,920 |
| 91 | Cubicin | $626,072,471 |
| 92 | Pristiq | $625,502,793 |
| 93 | Velcade | $622,009,646 |
| 94 | Strattera | $613,531,907 |
| 95 | Revlimid | $598,390,827 |
| 96 | Viread | $588,188,447 |
| 97 | Detrol LA | $571,448,481 |
| 98 | Complera | $570,267,495 |
| 99 | Yervoy | $569,112,697 |
| 100 | Varivax | $566,344,845 |
Source: IMS National Sales Perspectives, IMS Health
Table 2. Top 100 Drugs by Prescription Volume
| Rank | Drug (brand name) | Total prescriptions* from October 1, 2012, through September 30, 2013 |
| 1 | Crestor | 23,736,568 |
| 2 | Synthroid | 23,407,581 |
| 3 | Nexium | 20,689,735 |
| 4 | Cymbalta | 19,436,224 |
| 5 | Ventolin HFA | 17,531,384 |
| 6 | Advair Diskus | 16,604,511 |
| 7 | Diovan | 13,101,107 |
| 8 | Vyvanse | 10,409,180 |
| 9 | Spiriva Handihaler | 9,594,938 |
| 10 | Lantus | 9,498,954 |
| 11 | Lyrica | 9,406,166 |
| 12 | Celebrex | 9,288,870 |
| 13 | Lantus Solostar | 9,052,819 |
| 14 | Abilify | 8,922,954 |
| 15 | Januvia | 8,745,980 |
| 16 | Namenda | 8,464,036 |
| 17 | Nasonex | 8,388,973 |
| 18 | Viagra | 7,751,484 |
| 19 | Zetia | 7,714,153 |
| 20 | Suboxone | 7,658,467 |
| 21 | Cialis | 7,469,372 |
| 22 | Bystolic | 6,795,951 |
| 23 | Tamiflu | 6,415,670 |
| 24 | Flovent HFA | 6,154,584 |
| 25 | Oxycontin | 6,005,158 |
| 26 | Symbicort | 5,908,888 |
| 27 | Dexilant | 5,196,874 |
| 28 | Nuvaring | 5,188,089 |
| 29 | Benicar | 5,018,438 |
| 30 | Levemir | 4,749,858 |
| 31 | Premarin | 4,639,414 |
| 32 | Loestrin 24 FE | 4,590,856 |
| 33 | Proventil HFA | 4,402,561 |
| 34 | Afluria | 4,396,084 |
| 35 | Novolog | 4,200,166 |
| 36 | Thyroid | 4,146,906 |
| 37 | Voltaren Gel | 4,087,123 |
| 38 | Vesicare | 4,035,018 |
| 39 | Benicar HCT | 3,961,216 |
| 40 | Novolog Flexpen | 3,796,220 |
| 41 | Vytorin | 3,733,052 |
| 42 | Lunesta | 3,573,075 |
| 43 | Humalog | 3,567,750 |
| 44 | Focalin XR | 3,483,905 |
| 45 | Toprol-XL | 3,426,000 |
| 46 | Pristiq | 3,414,341 |
| 47 | Ortho-Tri-Cy Lo 28 | 3,406,933 |
| 48 | Lumigan | 3,265,438 |
| 49 | Janumet | 3,262,008 |
| 50 | Travatan Z | 3,099,633 |
| 51 | Evista | 3,037,813 |
| 52 | Lo Loestrin FE | 2,896,633 |
| 53 | Xarelto | 2,845,724 |
| 54 | Avodart | 2,780,336 |
| 55 | Pataday | 2,747,016 |
| 56 | Pradaxa | 2,688,081 |
| 57 | Zostavax | 2,577,330 |
| 58 | Combivent | 2,564,776 |
| 59 | Seroquel XR | 2,553,562 |
| 60 | Strattera | 2,524,961 |
| 61 | Detrol LA | 2,318,229 |
| 62 | Trilipix | 2,272,817 |
| 63 | Xopenex HFA | 2,249,145 |
| 64 | Chantix | 2,236,551 |
| 65 | Humalog Kwikpen | 2,234,056 |
| 66 | Lipitor | 2,183,138 |
| 67 | Exforge | 2,009,256 |
| 68 | Exelon | 1,893,886 |
| 69 | Aciphex | 1,889,412 |
| 70 | Welchol | 1,849,687 |
| 71 | Humira | 1,840,089 |
| 72 | Actonel | 1,833,889 |
| 73 | Onglyza | 1,780,339 |
| 74 | Combigan | 1,778,837 |
| 75 | Premarin Vaginal | 1,720,394 |
| 76 | Diovan HCT | 1,716,985 |
| 77 | Victoza 3-Pak | 1,684,293 |
| 78 | Enbrel | 1,656,421 |
| 79 | Truvada | 1,608,426 |
| 80 | Tricor | 1,593,716 |
| 81 | Micardis | 1,558,847 |
| 82 | Azor | 1,540,801 |
| 83 | Alphagan P | 1,537,012 |
| 84 | Patanol | 1,482,109 |
| 85 | Norvir | 1,455,910 |
| 86 | Aggrenox | 1,446,475 |
| 87 | Effient | 1,443,887 |
| 88 | Ranexa | 1,421,595 |
| 89 | Viibryd | 1,404,896 |
| 90 | Dulera | 1,381,074 |
| 91 | Advair HFA | 1,332,348 |
| 92 | Prempro Low Dose | 1,314,444 |
| 93 | Atripla | 1,289,014 |
| 94 | Amitiza | 1,287,691 |
| 95 | Asmanex Twisthaler | 1,257,602 |
| 96 | Levitra | 1,257,292 |
| 97 | Micardis HCT | 1,249,265 |
| 98 | Beyaz-28 | 1,244,195 |
| 99 | Ortho Evra 3 | 1,220,696 |
| 100 | Humulin N | 1,216,524 |
*New prescriptions and refills
Source: IMS National Prescription Audit, IMS Health