The cholesterol-lowering drug rosuvastatin (Crestor, AstraZeneca) edged out the hypothyroid drug levothyroxine (Synthroid, AbbVie) as the most prescribed drug in the United States, and the antipsychotic medication aripiprazole (Abilify, Otsuka Pharmaceutical) remains the best-selling drug, according to recent data.
Research firm IMS compiled a rolling 12-month history (October 2013 to September 2014) of the top 100 drugs by total prescriptions and total sales in the United States.
Rosuvastatin had about 22.3 million prescriptions, followed by levothyroxine, at about 22.3 million prescriptions; proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole (Nexium, AstraZeneca), at about 17.8 million prescriptions; and the asthma medications albuterol (Ventolin HFA, GlaxoSmithKline), at about 17.8 million prescriptions, and fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (Advair Diskus, GlaxoSmithKline), at about 14.5 million prescriptions.
The remaining top 10 most prescribed drugs for the period (in order) were the insulin glargine injection (Lantus Solostar, sanofi-aventis), the attention-deficit drug lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse, Shire), the antiepileptic drug pregabalin (Lyrica, Pfizer), the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medication tiotropium bromide (Spiriva Handihaler, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals), and the antihypertensive drug valsartan (Diovan, Novartis).
Top-Selling
Aripiprazole had sales of $7.5 billion, followed by the arthritis drug adalimumab (Humira, Abbott Laboratories, $6.7 billion), hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir (Sovaldi, Gilead Sciences, $6.7 billion), esomeprazole (Nexium, AstraZeneca, $6.1 billion), and rosuvastatin (Crestor, AstraZeneca, $5.8 billion).
Rounding out the top 10 in sales were the arthritis drug etanercept (Enbrel, Amgen, $5.3 billion), fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (Advair Diskus, GlaxoSmithKline, almost $5 billion), the arthritis drug infliximab (Remicade, Centocor, $4.5 billion), the insulin glargine injection (Lantus Solostar, sanofi-aventis, $4.1 billion), and the neutropenia drug pegfilgrastim (Neulasta, Amgen, $3.8 billion).
| Table 1. Top 100 Prescriptions, Sales | |
| Product | Prescriptions, n |
| Crestor | 22,279,247 |
| Synthroid | 22,258,461 |
| Nexium | 17,763,935 |
| Ventolin HFA | 17,745,136 |
| Advair Diskus | 14,495,507 |
| Lantus Solostar | 10,450,322 |
| Vyvanse | 10,147,910 |
| Lyrica | 9,798,532 |
| Spiriva Handihaler | 9,555,794 |
| Diovan | 9,470,735 |
| Lantus | 9,283,819 |
| Januvia | 8,840,911 |
| Abilify | 8,825,094 |
| Celebrex | 8,722,291 |
| Cialis | 7,542,063 |
| Viagra | 7,431,369 |
| Symbicort | 7,416,869 |
| Zetia | 7,243,535 |
| Nasonex | 7,099,068 |
| Suboxone | 6,997,562 |
| Namenda | 6,908,201 |
| Bystolic | 6,665,853 |
| Levemir | 5,872,711 |
| Xarelto | 5,723,115 |
| Flovent HFA | 5,637,690 |
| Oxycontin | 5,505,961 |
| Cymbalta | 5,491,281 |
| Nuvaring | 4,986,756 |
| Thyroid | 4,970,116 |
| Voltaren Gel | 4,890,248 |
| Dexilant | 4,772,598 |
| Benicar | 4,640,020 |
| Proventil HFA | 4,532,962 |
| Tamiflu | 4,170,629 |
| Novolog Flexpen | 4,056,670 |
| Humalog | 4,009,248 |
| Novolog | 3,988,984 |
| Premarin | 3,795,768 |
| Vesicare | 3,790,832 |
| Benicar HCT | 3,539,522 |
| Afluria | 3,388,174 |
| Lumigan | 3,315,225 |
| Lo Loestrin Fe | 3,227,089 |
| Janumet | 3,064,731 |
| Ortho-Tri-Cy Lo 28 | 2,995,623 |
| Combivent Respimat | 2,965,358 |
| Toprol-XL | 2,944,217 |
| Pristiq | 2,935,525 |
| Travatan Z | 2,890,189 |
| Pataday | 2,813,903 |
| Humalog Kwikpen | 2,799,179 |
| Vytorin | 2,772,857 |
| Minastrin 24 Fe | 2,711,030 |
| Focalin XR | 2,689,816 |
| Avodart | 2,460,223 |
| Seroquel XR | 2,403,366 |
| Strattera | 2,387,721 |
| Pradaxa | 2,382,389 |
| Chantix | 2,165,904 |
| Zostavax | 2,104,519 |
| Namenda XR | 2,023,583 |
| Humira | 1,989,802 |
| Dulera | 1,981,166 |
| Victoza 3-Pak | 1,960,970 |
| Lunesta | 1,868,471 |
| Exelon | 1,863,529 |
| Combigan | 1,857,527 |
| Onglyza | 1,768,340 |
| Exforge | 1,762,355 |
| Welchol | 1,743,549 |
| Premarin Vaginal | 1,738,140 |
| Enbrel | 1,651,478 |
| Ranexa | 1,605,867 |
| Invokana | 1,586,550 |
| Evista | 1,573,950 |
| Truvada | 1,568,162 |
| Tradjenta | 1,528,164 |
| Alphagan P | 1,499,787 |
| Viibryd | 1,451,898 |
| Effient | 1,432,066 |
| Xopenex HFA | 1,430,199 |
| Azor | 1,409,658 |
| Norvir | 1,388,745 |
| Amitiza | 1,323,651 |
| Latuda | 1,312,129 |
| Lotemax | 1,278,211 |
| Advair HFA | 1,277,054 |
| Uloric | 1,260,622 |
| Patanol | 1,240,388 |
| Asmanex Twisthaler | 1,228,416 |
| Aggrenox | 1,226,201 |
| Eliquis | 1,219,016 |
| Linzess | 1,181,435 |
| Atripla | 1,175,163 |
| Levitra | 1,161,618 |
| Epiduo | 1,155,645 |
| Actonel | 1,124,413 |
| Prempro Low Dose | 1,119,107 |
| Novolog Flxpen Mix 70/30 | 1,104,925 |
| Lipitor | 1,085,544 |
| Grand total | 435,891,857 |
| Table 2. Top 100 Prescriptions, Dollars | |
| Product | Sales |
| Abilify | $7,545,171,814 |
| Humira | $6,732,549,721 |
| Sovaldi | $6,707,188,529 |
| Nexium | $6,140,633,073 |
| Crestor | $5,771,965,582 |
| Enbrel | $5,294,762,089 |
| Advair Diskus | $4,951,078,263 |
| Remicade | $4,462,708,246 |
| Lantus Solostar | $4,141,633,161 |
| Neulasta | $3,773,342,168 |
| Copaxone | $3,767,984,707 |
| Rituxan | $3,424,156,083 |
| Januvia | $3,293,105,892 |
| Spiriva Handihaler | $3,287,988,871 |
| Lantus | $3,210,967,627 |
| Lyrica | $2,940,486,769 |
| Atripla | $2,936,051,617 |
| Avastin | $2,839,069,590 |
| Celebrex | $2,540,107,019 |
| Oxycontin | $2,512,575,981 |
| Truvada | $2,415,534,718 |
| Epogen | $2,404,513,411 |
| Levemir | $2,379,861,112 |
| Tecfidera | $2,272,366,315 |
| Gleevec | $2,200,372,454 |
| Herceptin | $2,114,710,693 |
| Symbicort | $2,065,868,335 |
| Vyvanse | $2,017,878,965 |
| Zetia | $1,989,871,625 |
| Lucentis | $1,935,918,100 |
| Diovan | $1,822,322,799 |
| Xarelto | $1,820,855,491 |
| Novolog Flexpen | $1,817,768,346 |
| Namenda | $1,663,323,838 |
| Olysio | $1,613,380,132 |
| Humalog | $1,543,386,296 |
| Novolog | $1,521,160,839 |
| Cymbalta | $1,435,717,923 |
| Suboxone | $1,400,974,587 |
| Tysabri | $1,369,210,575 |
| Stelara | $1,354,608,832 |
| Victoza 3-Pak | $1,354,357,966 |
| Cialis | $1,309,376,569 |
| Seroquel XR | $1,297,174,809 |
| Viagra | $1,292,109,794 |
| Humalog Kwikpen | $1,272,391,115 |
| Alimta | $1,228,096,169 |
| Gilenya | $1,209,963,678 |
| Nasonex | $1,188,081,443 |
| Stribild | $1,149,073,889 |
| Flovent HFA | $1,122,295,786 |
| Prezista | $1,121,162,004 |
| Janumet | $1,116,205,392 |
| Avonex | $1,110,939,062 |
| Renvela | $1,081,550,789 |
| Dexilant | $1,049,502,432 |
| Orencia | $1,045,004,551 |
| Isentress | $1,044,905,638 |
| Vesicare | $1,024,006,819 |
| Procrit | $994,494,946 |
| Avonex Pen | $986,796,226 |
| Zytiga | $980,859,486 |
| Latuda | $972,259,015 |
| Xolair | $969,656,691 |
| Synthroid | $969,060,446 |
| Invega Sustenna | $943,606,764 |
| Benicar | $921,872,275 |
| Reyataz | $909,285,338 |
| Sensipar | $896,544,366 |
| Combivent Respimat | $894,452,705 |
| Pradaxa | $885,423,590 |
| Neupogen | $883,026,687 |
| Xgeva | $881,985,375 |
| Afinitor | $835,049,543 |
| Prevnar 13 | $834,053,949 |
| Complera | $821,426,403 |
| Aranesp | $820,202,858 |
| Vytorin | $800,719,271 |
| Ventolin HFA | $793,242,314 |
| Betaseron | $779,842,084 |
| Bystolic | $765,343,634 |
| Synagis | $753,273,011 |
| Zyvox | $739,246,263 |
| Cimzia | $736,446,313 |
| Gardasil | $728,326,881 |
| Benicar HCT | $721,782,298 |
| Sandostatin LAR | $720,355,549 |
| Pristiq | $703,798,575 |
| Treanda | $686,115,677 |
| Strattera | $684,242,163 |
| Sprycel | $677,924,580 |
| Erbitux | $672,602,355 |
| Cubicin | $656,709,379 |
| Zostavax | $655,785,081 |
| Velcade | $648,461,251 |
| Abraxane | $647,920,779 |
| Tarceva | $646,356,078 |
| Lunesta | $575,643,680 |
| Xeloda | $502,312,799 |
| Evista | $440,121,056 |
| Grand total | $178,585,957,827 |
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Cite this: 100 Most Prescribed, Best-Selling Branded Drugs Through September - Medscape - Nov 03, 2014.
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