In Upset, Ulcer Drug Prilosec Is No. 1 in Prescription Sales

Prilosec climbed to the head of the latest “Top 10” list of U.S. prescription drug sales, ending the 10-year reign of its anti-ulcer competitor, Zantac, as the country’s best-selling drug.

Prilosec, launched in 1989, is marketed by Astra Merck Inc., a joint venture of Swedish drug company Astra and U.S. drug maker Merck & Co. It moved up from third place.

New rankings released Friday by IMS America, which compiles sales data for the pharmaceuticals industry, showed four new entrants to the Top 10 list: antihistamine Claritin, anti-depressant Paxil, cardiovascular drug Norvasc and antibiotic Augmentin.

The new rankings are based on U.S. sales in the first half of 1997.

“Volume is what is driving their [sales] growth; it was more important than pricing for all the Top 10,” said Paul Johnson, IMS marketing vice president.

Prilosec’s U.S. sales jumped 36% to $1.06 billion, following a 43% sales gain in the first six months of 1996.

The drug, a member of a class of ulcer drugs called proton pump inhibitors, interferes with the cellular mechanism that allows buildup of acid in the digestive tract.

Zantac, sold by Glaxo Wellcome, had held the No. 1 spot since wresting it away in 1987 from Tagamet, a competing ulcer drug now sold over the counter by SmithKline Beecham.

Zantac, whose U.S. patent expired in July, is now sold as a generic by privately owned Novopharm Ltd. of Canada. It fell to third place with U.S. sales slipping 21% to $726 million--the only drug on the list to show a sales decline.

Eli Lilly & Co.’s antidepressant Prozac and competing Pfizer Inc.’s Zoloft held their respective second- and fifth-place positions.

Prozac’s sales rose 14% to $917 million, gaining momentum from its 11% sales growth in the 1996 period.

Zoloft’s sales grew 12% to $588 million, half the percentage sales growth seen last year.

A third antidepressant joined the list, with SmithKline’s Paxil leapfrogging to eighth place from 19th in 1996. Its sales rose 46% to $449 million, a slowdown from the 36% growth in the first six months of 1996.

Merck’s cholesterol-lowering Zocor moved to fourth place from seventh as sales soared 50% to $662 million for the half-year--a slowdown, however, from the 92% growth in the 1996 period.

Thousand Oaks-based Amgen Inc.’s Epogen, which boosts red blood cell counts, fell to sixth place from fourth, with sales rising to $585 million.

Schering-Plough Corp.’s antihistamine Claritin advanced to seventh place from 20th last year, with sales bounding 52% to $452 million.

Norvasc, Pfizer’s hypertension and angina drug, climbed to ninth place from 13th, with sales rising 30% to $434 million.

The No. 10 spot was claimed by SmithKline antibiotic Augmentin.

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Prescription for Success

The top 10 drugs ranked by dollar value of U.S. prescription sales for the first half of 1997:

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Sales Drug (millions) 1 Prilosec (anti-ulcer) $1,060 2 Prozac (anti-depressant) 917 3 Zantac (anti-ulcer) 726 4 Zocor (anti-cholesterol) 662 5 Zoloft (anti-depressant) 588 6 Epogen (blood cell booster) 585 7 Claritin (antihistamine) 452 8 Paxil (anti-depressant) 449 9 Norvasc (hypertension) 434 10 Augmentin (antibiotic) 423

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Source: Reuters