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What is the latest edition of the top 100 drugs?

3 min read

In 2024, overall pharmaceutical expenditures in the U.S. grew by 10.2% to a total of $805.9 billion [1.3.5]. Answering "What is the latest edition of the top 100 drugs?" reveals the key drivers of this spending and major trends in public health.

Quick Summary

A comprehensive overview of the most recent top 100 drugs list, detailing the leading medications by sales and prescription volume and analyzing current pharmaceutical trends, including the rise of biologics and GLP-1 agonists.

Key Points

  • Two Metrics: Top drug lists are ranked by either total revenue (sales) or total prescription volume [1.5.1, 1.4.3].

  • Revenue Leader: For the second year in a row, the cancer immunotherapy drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) was the world's best-selling drug in 2024 [1.3.7, 1.4.2].

  • Volume Leader: Atorvastatin, a generic medication for high cholesterol, remains one of the most prescribed drugs in the United States [1.5.1].

  • Market Trends: GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and Mounjaro have surged into the top-selling drug lists due to high demand for diabetes and weight management [1.2.2, 1.3.7].

  • Biologics vs. Generics: High-revenue drugs are often complex, patent-protected biologics, while high-volume drugs are typically low-cost generics for chronic diseases [1.7.1, 1.5.1].

  • Drug Naming: Many drug names feature common suffixes (e.g., '-statin,' '-pril,' '-olol') that identify their pharmacological class and mechanism of action [1.6.4].

In This Article

Understanding the Top Drug Lists

The pharmaceutical landscape is constantly evolving, and tracking the top-selling and most-prescribed drugs provides valuable insights into healthcare trends, market dynamics, and areas of significant research and development. These lists are typically compiled using two primary metrics:

  • By Revenue: This ranking is based on the total sales generated by a drug, reflecting its commercial success and often its high cost. These lists are frequently dominated by newer, patent-protected specialty drugs, particularly biologics used to treat complex conditions [1.7.1, 1.7.6].
  • By Prescription Volume: This list ranks drugs by the total number of prescriptions dispensed. It often highlights medications used to treat common, chronic conditions and is largely composed of affordable, generic drugs [1.5.1, 1.5.2].

The Latest Top Drugs by Revenue (Based on 2024 Data)

The latest data from 2024 shows a clear dominance of oncology drugs and immunologics, with a significant surge from medications for diabetes and obesity [1.2.2, 1.4.4]. For the second consecutive year, Merck's cancer therapy Keytruda has become the world's top-selling drug, generating approximately $29.5 billion in sales [1.3.7, 1.4.7]. It has overtaken AbbVie's Humira, which saw its sales decline due to biosimilar competition [1.3.7].

Top 10 Selling Drugs of 2024 (Approximate Revenue) [1.4.3]:

  1. Keytruda (pembrolizumab): $29.5 billion [1.3.7]
  2. Eliquis (apixaban): $20.7 billion [1.4.3]
  3. Ozempic (semaglutide): $18.7 billion [1.4.3]
  4. Dupixent (dupilumab): $15.1 billion [1.4.3]
  5. Biktarvy (bictegravir, emtricitabine, tenofovir alafenamide): $13.4 billion [1.4.3]
  6. Jardiance family (empagliflozin): $13.0 billion [1.4.3]
  7. Skyrizi (risankizumab-rzaa): $11.7 billion [1.4.3]
  8. Darzalex (daratumumab): $11.7 billion [1.4.3]
  9. Mounjaro (tirzepatide): $11.5 billion [1.4.3]
  10. Stelara (ustekinumab): $10.4 billion [1.4.3]

A major trend is the ascent of GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy, used for diabetes and weight loss, which are now firmly in the top rankings [1.2.2, 1.3.6].

The Latest Top Drugs by Prescription Volume

In contrast to the revenue list, the most prescribed drugs are typically generics for chronic conditions. Based on the most recent data available (from 2023), the list is led by medications for cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure [1.5.1].

Top 10 Most Prescribed Drugs in the U.S. (Based on 2023 Data) [1.5.1]:

  1. Atorvastatin (Cholesterol)
  2. Metformin (Diabetes)
  3. Levothyroxine (Thyroid)
  4. Lisinopril (Blood Pressure)
  5. Amlodipine (Blood Pressure)
  6. Metoprolol (Blood Pressure)
  7. Albuterol (Asthma)
  8. Losartan (Blood Pressure)
  9. Gabapentin (Nerve Pain/Seizures)
  10. Omeprazole (Acid Reflux)

Comparison Table: Revenue vs. Prescription Leaders

Rank Metric Drug (Brand/Generic) Primary Use Why it Ranks High
Top by Revenue Keytruda (pembrolizumab) Cancer (Immunotherapy) High cost per treatment, broad range of approved uses [1.3.7, 1.4.2]
Top by Revenue Ozempic (semaglutide) Type 2 Diabetes/Weight Loss High demand, significant media attention, and strong efficacy [1.3.7, 1.2.2]
Top by Prescriptions Atorvastatin High Cholesterol Widely prescribed generic for a very common chronic condition [1.5.1]
Top by Prescriptions Levothyroxine Hypothyroidism Essential, low-cost daily medication for a common thyroid disorder [1.5.1]

Key Therapeutic Areas and Drug Classifications

The top drug lists are dominated by several key therapeutic areas, including oncology, immunology, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease [1.4.4]. Understanding drug classifications can help make sense of the variety of medications available. Many drug names share common suffixes (stems) that indicate their class and mechanism of action.

Common Drug Suffixes

Suffix Drug Class Example Use
-statin HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors Atorvastatin [1.6.2] Lowers cholesterol
-pril ACE inhibitors Lisinopril [1.6.4] Treats high blood pressure
-sartan Angiotensin receptor blockers Losartan [1.6.4] Treats high blood pressure
-olol Beta blockers Metoprolol [1.6.4] Treats high blood pressure, heart conditions
-mab Monoclonal antibodies Pembrolizumab [1.6.1] Treats cancer, autoimmune diseases
-prazole Proton pump inhibitors Omeprazole [1.6.6] Reduces stomach acid
-vir Antivirals Acyclovir [1.6.6] Treats viral infections
-afil PDE5 inhibitors Sildenafil [1.6.3] Treats erectile dysfunction

Conclusion

The latest edition of the top 100 drugs underscores a split in the pharmaceutical market. Revenue charts are increasingly dominated by high-cost biologics and innovative treatments for cancer and metabolic disorders, such as Keytruda and Ozempic [1.3.7, 1.4.3]. Simultaneously, the most frequently dispensed medications remain the affordable, generic workhorses that manage widespread chronic conditions like high blood pressure and cholesterol [1.5.1]. The rapid growth of GLP-1 agonists for both diabetes and weight management marks the most significant recent shift, reshaping both revenue and prescription landscapes [1.2.2].


For further reading, you can explore the ClinCalc DrugStats Database, which provides extensive data on prescription drug use in the United States. [1.5.1]

Frequently Asked Questions

As of the latest 2024 data, the number one selling drug in the world is Keytruda (pembrolizumab), an immunotherapy medication used to treat various types of cancer, with sales of approximately $29.5 billion [1.3.7, 1.4.7].

Based on the most recent complete data from 2023, the most prescribed drug in the U.S. is Atorvastatin, a generic medication used to lower cholesterol [1.5.1].

The top-selling list is based on revenue, which is driven by high-cost, often patent-protected specialty drugs like biologics [1.7.1, 1.7.3]. The most-prescribed list is based on prescription volume, which is dominated by low-cost, generic drugs used to treat very common chronic conditions [1.5.1].

Financial data for top-selling drugs is typically reported quarterly and annually by pharmaceutical companies [1.3.7]. Comprehensive prescription data, like that from ClinCalc, is often compiled and released annually with data from the preceding year [1.5.2].

Biologics are complex drugs derived from living organisms [1.7.5]. They are expensive due to high research and development costs, complex manufacturing processes, and long periods of market exclusivity granted by patents that limit competition from cheaper versions known as biosimilars [1.7.2, 1.7.3].

A GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) agonist is a class of medication that mimics the action of the natural GLP-1 hormone [1.8.4]. They help manage blood sugar by stimulating insulin release, slowing digestion, and reducing appetite, making them effective for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity [1.8.2, 1.8.6].

Humira (adalimumab), which was previously the world's top-selling drug for years, has seen a significant drop in its ranking. This is primarily due to the loss of patent exclusivity and the introduction of multiple competing biosimilars [1.3.7, 1.4.2].

References

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Medical Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice.