TOP Classes of Biologics with 2006 Sales of US$ 63.8 bln

Sales of the major cancer antibodies grew by 57 % to US$ 10.6 bln in 2006. Cancer antibodies are challenging the still no. 1 selling class of erythropoietins with 2006 sales of US$ 11.9 bln, but the lowest growth rate (6.4 %), and got ahead of TNF antibodies which posted sales of 10.3 bln (+ 25 %).

BARCELONA, Spain | Feb 26, 2007 | The Business Intelligence firm La Merie S.L. reported today that the major cancer antibodies Rituxan, Herceptin, Avastin and Erbitux represent the no. 2 class of top selling biologics with the hightest growth rate of 57 % and combined 2006 sales of US$ 10.6 bln. In contrast, the class of erythropoietin products still had the highest sales in 2006 with US$ 11.9 bln, buth with the lowest growth rate (6.7 %) of all 12 classes of recombinant biologics (excluding vaccines) with sales higher than US$ 1 bln. The single biologic product with highest sales in 2006 was the anti-TNF drug Enbrel (US$ 4.5 bln), but Humira had the highest growth rate (+ 46 %) among the anti-TNF antibodies which are the no. 3 class with combined 2006 sales of US$ 10.3 bln. The increasing conversion of insulin to insulin analogs explains the growth rate of 24 % in the class of insulin products with sales of US$ 9 bln in 2006. Recent new product launches contributed to the 28 % growth of enzyme replacement therapies to 2006 sales of US$ 1.7 bln. Recombinant coagulation factors posted 2006 sales of US$ 4.7 bln (+ 17 %). Total sales of the 12 top selling biologic products with sales per class over US$ 1 bln grew by 20 % from US$ 53 bln to US$ 63.8 bln in 2006. These results and more were found in a search conducted by La Merie Business Intelligence and published in a complimentary report on February 26, 2007. The document entitled “TOP 20 Biologics 2006” can be acquired as a free download at La Merie’s News Center and Online Store PipelineReview.com.

The “TOP 20 Biologics 2006” report presents in tabular format 2006 sales figures of the TOP 20 selling single biologic products, of the 12 top-selling classes of recombinant biologicals, i.e. proteins and antibodies (excluding vaccines and peptides), and in detail the sales figures of the individual products of the 12 top selling classes of biologics. In addition, information is provided on brand and generic names, target, class of compound, originator and licensee companies, product category and major indications. Growth rates of the ten best selling classes of biological products are graphically compared and a table with sales figures of selected individual biologics with sales of less than US$ 1 bln is provided. All information is fully referenced by a hyperlink leading to the original source of information. References can be found for reports of La Merie’s Competitor Analysis series related to the top selling classes of biologics.

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La Merie S.L. is a Business Intelligence enterprise fully dedicated to provide high quality R&D information to the biopharmaceutical industry. La Merie offers individual consultancy services and publishes reports and periodicals. For more information visit www.lamerie.com.

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PipelineReview.com is the News Center and Online Store of La Merie Business Intelligence focused on Research and Development in the Biopharmaceutical Industry. Visitors of PipelineReview.com will find R&D relevant press releases and can receive selected R&D news from one or more of the site’s News Channels. A free R&D Newletter conveniently brings via e-mail a daily selection of the most interesting news from biopharmaceutical R&D. For more information visit PipelineReview.com.

SOURCE: La Merie Business Intelligence