IMS Report on US Drug Sales 2004

US prescription drug sales grew 8.3% from $217.3bn in 2003 to $235.4bn last year, according to IMS Health. The volume of total US dispensed prescriptions grew 3.2% after adjustments. Despite seeing less than double-digit growth for the first year since 1995, the industry's performance is seen as solid in the face of various pressures.

Figures are derived from the IMS(r) National Sales PerspectivesTM and the IMS(r) National Prescription AuditTM services.

Drug safety, pricing and generics competition are key pressures on the industry according to Bruce Boggs, President of IMS Americas. Other specific factors affecting 2004 were a mild flu season; increased over-the-counter use of anti-ulcerants and antihistamines; decreased prescription volumes due in part to increased insurance co-pays; and safety concerns with antidepressants and COX-2 inhibitors.

Biotech sales grew by 17%, notably the colorectal cancer drugs ErbituxTM (Bristol-Myers Squibb/Imclone) and Genentech's AvastinTM. Other notable new arrivals included Eli Lilly's Cymbalta(r) (for depression), Forest Laboratories' Namenda(r) (for Alzheimer's disease) and Merck/Schering-Plough's VytorinTM (for cholesterol reduction).

The generics segment's dollar sales grew by only 10%, compared with more than 26% in previous years, according to Corporate VP Ana-Maria Zaugg.

Medicare and drug importation were much talked about in 2004 but had little impact on bottom lines. By year's end, only 1.2% of retail prescriptions and 5.1% of senior retail prescriptions involved the use of Medicare discount cards, launched mid-year, although the cards have been effective in lowering users' prescription costs by an average 20% for branded drugs and 33% for generic. The growth of drugs imported from Canada slowed to 9.7% with sales at less than 1% of overall US pharmaceuticals revenues.

IMS forecasts a steady continued growth of 7.5% to 8.5% for 2005, on a par with the projected global compound growth rate of 7-10% through 2008. The company highlights seven new products due for US launch in 2005 with 'potential global blockbuster status' (over $1 billion in sales): Eli Lilly's Alimta(r) (for lung cancer), Pfizer's LyricaTM (for neuropathic pain), Novo Nordisk's Levemir(r) (for diabetes), GlaxoSmithKline's ArifloTM (for asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), Sanofi-Aventis' Menactra(r) (for meningitis), Genentech/OSI's TarcevaTM (for lung cancer) and Roche/GlaxoSmithKline's BonivaTM (for osteoporosis).

IMS is the world's leading provider of information solutions to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries with revenue of $1.4bn in 2003. Charts detailing 2004 US industry performance by categories such as distribution channels, therapy classes, prescription products and companies can be viewed on its web site at www.imshealth.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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