The hypothyroid drug levothyroxine (Synthroid, AbbVie) was the most prescribed drug in the United States, and the arthritis drug adalimumab (Humira, Abbott Laboratories) was the best-selling drug through March of this year, according to recent data.
Research firm IMS released a rolling 12-month history of prescription numbers and total sales from April 2014 through March 2015.
Levothyroxine had about 21.6 million prescriptions, followed by cholesterol-lowering drug rosuvastatin (Crestor, AstraZeneca), at about 21.5 million prescriptions; asthma medication albuterol (Ventolin HFA, GlaxoSmithKline), at about 18.2 million prescriptions; proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole (Nexium, AstraZeneca), at about 15.3 million prescriptions; and asthma medication fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (Advair Diskus, GlaxoSmithKline), at about 13.8 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 diabetes drug sitagliptin (Januvia, Merck)
Top Sellers
The arthritis drug adalimumab (Humira, Abbott Laboratories) had sales of about $8.3 billion, followed by the antipsychotic medication aripiprazole (Abilify, Otsuka Pharmaceutical) at $8 billion, the hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir (Sovaldi, Gilead Sciences) at $7 billion, the cholesterol-lowering drug rosuvastatin (Crestor, AstraZeneca) at $6 billion, and the arthritis drug etanercept (Enbrel, Amgen) at almost $6 billion.
The remaining top 10 drugs in sales were the hepatitis C drug ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (Harvoni, Gilead), the proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole (Nexium, AstraZeneca), the asthma medication fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (Advair Diskus, GlaxoSmithKline), the insulin glargine injection (Lantus Solostar, sanofi-aventis), and the arthritis drug infliximab (Remicade, Centocor).
Top 100 Prescriptions, Sales
| Drug Name | Sales |
| Synthroid | 21,561,481 |
| Crestor | 21,478,776 |
| Ventolin HFA | 18,203,939 |
| Nexium | 15,298,228 |
| Advair Diskus | 13,776,325 |
| Lantus Solostar | 10,939,840 |
| Vyvanse | 10,413,999 |
| Lyrica | 10,022,365 |
| Spiriva Handihaler | 9,635,935 |
| Januvia | 9,148,946 |
| Lantus | 9,145,153 |
| Abilify | 9,099,978 |
| Symbicort | 8,265,594 |
| Tamiflu | 8,025,275 |
| Cialis | 7,472,719 |
| Viagra | 7,104,074 |
| Suboxone | 6,985,631 |
| Zetia | 6,925,137 |
| Xarelto | 6,739,752 |
| Bystolic | 6,461,435 |
| Celebrex | 6,449,730 |
| Nasonex | 6,432,382 |
| Namenda | 5,961,360 |
| Flovent HFA | 5,736,650 |
| Oxycontin | 5,347,532 |
| Diovan | 5,224,025 |
| Thyroid | 5,128,576 |
| Voltaren Gel | 5,123,676 |
| Nuvaring | 4,917,514 |
| Afluria | 4,650,167 |
| Dexilant | 4,620,902 |
| Benicar | 4,483,555 |
| Proventil HFA | 4,385,623 |
| Humalog | 4,209,193 |
| Novolog Flexpen | 4,179,914 |
| Novolog | 3,968,615 |
| Vesicare | 3,686,182 |
| Premarin | 3,462,987 |
| Benicar HCT | 3,352,383 |
| Lo Loestrin Fe | 3,335,659 |
| Lumigan | 3,298,208 |
| Namenda XR | 3,157,234 |
| Humalog Kwikpen | 3,043,015 |
| Janumet | 3,027,293 |
| Pataday | 2,905,818 |
| Ortho-Tri-Cy Lo 28 | 2,900,301 |
| Travatan Z | 2,861,717 |
| Combivent Respimat | 2,846,891 |
| Toprol-XL | 2,811,156 |
| Pristiq | 2,769,837 |
| Invokana | 2,711,901 |
| Minastrin 24 Fe | 2,555,803 |
| Strattera | 2,418,649 |
| Seroquel XR | 2,390,205 |
| Vytorin | 2,384,517 |
| Focalin XR | 2,334,004 |
| Dulera | 2,307,692 |
| Levemir Flexpen | 2,283,328 |
| Zostavax | 2,279,662 |
| Avodart | 2,271,799 |
| Pradaxa | 2,257,507 |
| Chantix | 2,208,377 |
| Eliquis | 2,179,340 |
| Humira | 2,173,082 |
| Levemir Flextouch | 2,164,191 |
| Levemir | 2,100,856 |
| Victoza 3-Pak | 2,078,630 |
| Combigan | 1,909,750 |
| Exelon | 1,825,705 |
| Tradjenta | 1,744,708 |
| Premarin Vaginal | 1,738,728 |
| Enbrel | 1,691,819 |
| Onglyza | 1,691,615 |
| Ranexa | 1,661,050 |
| Truvada | 1,651,083 |
| Welchol | 1,644,996 |
| Linzess | 1,639,652 |
| Latuda | 1,635,230 |
| Alphagan P | 1,483,322 |
| Viibryd | 1,425,156 |
| Effient | 1,406,934 |
| Norvir | 1,376,523 |
| Amitiza | 1,371,937 |
| Azor | 1,338,802 |
| Advair HFA | 1,310,993 |
| Uloric | 1,293,249 |
| Lotemax | 1,245,330 |
| Myrbetriq | 1,230,040 |
| Asmanex Twisthaler | 1,219,923 |
| Epiduo | 1,212,887 |
| Xopenex HFA | 1,204,025 |
| Durezol | 1,189,206 |
| Patanol | 1,181,134 |
| Atripla | 1,147,295 |
| Aggrenox | 1,144,739 |
| Exforge | 1,134,532 |
| Humulin R | 1,110,123 |
| Carafate | 1,110,008 |
| Novolog Flxpen Mix 70/30 | 1,069,219 |
| Relpax | 1,035,265 |
| Total | 426,157,198 |
Top 100 Prescriptions, Dollars
| Product | Sales $ |
| Humira | $8,290,106,091 |
| Abilify | $7,995,192,015 |
| Sovaldi | $6,957,331,432 |
| Crestor | $5,958,997,432 |
| Enbrel | $5,953,627,734 |
| Harvoni | $5,398,133,616 |
| Nexium | $5,394,307,899 |
| Advair Diskus | $4,789,231,826 |
| Lantus Solostar | $4,770,782,304 |
| Remicade | $4,614,448,608 |
| Copaxone | $4,182,899,363 |
| Neulasta | $3,922,031,456 |
| Januvia | $3,614,160,358 |
| Lantus | $3,566,103,749 |
| Rituxan | $3,544,238,274 |
| Spiriva Handihaler | $3,376,228,289 |
| Lyrica | $3,266,031,544 |
| Tecfidera | $3,099,936,398 |
| Atripla | $2,978,855,683 |
| Avastin | $2,965,061,371 |
| Truvada | $2,578,983,746 |
| Gleevec | $2,503,368,238 |
| Epogen | $2,473,399,804 |
| Oxycontin | $2,465,943,666 |
| Symbicort | $2,360,996,657 |
| Herceptin | $2,298,726,899 |
| Xarelto | $2,284,828,697 |
| Vyvanse | $2,160,713,724 |
| Zetia | $2,084,878,153 |
| Novolog Flexpen | $2,057,726,217 |
| Celebrex | $1,910,900,690 |
| Lucentis | $1,846,895,026 |
| Olysio | $1,841,298,803 |
| Humalog | $1,777,573,187 |
| Novolog | $1,682,412,487 |
| Stelara | $1,681,699,491 |
| Tysabri | $1,567,603,895 |
| Victoza 3-Pak | $1,551,256,216 |
| Stribild | $1,521,776,680 |
| Humalog Kwikpen | $1,502,106,919 |
| Gilenya | $1,473,842,883 |
| Namenda | $1,467,285,489 |
| Cialis | $1,444,220,727 |
| Suboxone | $1,425,290,432 |
| Prevnar 13 | $1,396,162,844 |
| Viagra | $1,352,420,339 |
| Seroquel XR | $1,348,914,720 |
| Avonex Pen | $1,265,072,458 |
| Latuda | $1,255,720,111 |
| Renvela | $1,238,809,132 |
| Alimta | $1,228,896,729 |
| Levemir Flextouch | $1,191,214,618 |
| Janumet | $1,186,223,316 |
| Prezista | $1,180,847,342 |
| Flovent HFA | $1,164,131,971 |
| Nasonex | $1,152,398,925 |
| Orencia | $1,143,314,317 |
| Dexilant | $1,112,428,137 |
| Zytiga | $1,070,295,487 |
| Tamiflu | $1,062,635,381 |
| Invega Sustenna | $1,060,318,741 |
| Avonex | $1,056,780,770 |
| Vesicare | $1,039,389,101 |
| Revlimid | $1,029,532,746 |
| Isentress | $1,029,298,768 |
| Synthroid | $1,022,330,768 |
| Sensipar | $981,745,658 |
| Benicar | $980,584,320 |
| Diovan | $976,553,203 |
| Invokana | $970,548,874 |
| Complera | $959,404,062 |
| Procrit | $952,064,680 |
| Xolair | $947,519,208 |
| Xgeva | $931,245,431 |
| Combivent Respimat | $911,002,564 |
| Levemir Flexpen | $897,404,938 |
| Cimzia | $882,246,079 |
| Reyataz | $864,112,503 |
| Pradaxa | $861,575,903 |
| Afinitor | $847,476,278 |
| Aranesp | $840,688,834 |
| Ventolin HFA | $836,444,530 |
| Bystolic | $834,232,105 |
| Neupogen | $809,055,804 |
| Gardasil | $806,914,360 |
| Levemir | $804,193,630 |
| Sprycel | $797,720,901 |
| Xifaxan | $767,934,882 |
| Strattera | $762,979,130 |
| Benicar HCT | $759,903,978 |
| Prolia | $757,969,582 |
| Namenda XR | $752,841,699 |
| Vytorin | $749,130,132 |
| Eliquis | $746,321,783 |
| Yervoy | $743,127,508 |
| Sandostatin Lar | $738,303,189 |
| Pristiq | $737,859,917 |
| Welchol | $723,662,256 |
| Zostavax | $712,431,619 |
| Treanda | $706,972,581 |
| Total | $194,540,743,010 |
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Cite this: 100 Best-Selling, Most Prescribed Branded Drugs Through March - Medscape - May 06, 2015.
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