Top 15 Global Pharmaceutical Companies by Revenue and Top 10 Best-Selling Drugs in H1 2021

As global pharmaceutical companies successively disclose their 2021 interim reports, the rankings for revenue figures and best-selling drugs have correspondingly shifted.

Ranked by total revenue, the top 15 global pharmaceutical companies are: Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Pfizer, Bayer, AbbVie, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, MSD, GSK, Sanofi, Takeda, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Gilead Sciences, and Amgen. In terms of revenue growth, Pfizer ranks first with nearly 70%, followed by AstraZeneca at 23%, Eli Lilly at 19%, Gilead Sciences at 18%, Johnson & Johnson at 17%, GSK at 15%, and both MSD and AbbVie at 12%; the three companies with the slowest revenue growth are Amgen at 0.5%, Sanofi at 0.9%, and Bayer at 1.2%.

Ranked by total revenue of the pharmaceutical segment: Pfizer, AbbVie, and Novartis rank in the top three, with $33.5 billion, $26.7 billion, and $25.4 billion, respectively; among them, Pfizer has reclaimed the global top spot, primarily driven by growth in COVID-19 vaccine sales. Ranking from 4th to 15th are as follows: Johnson & Johnson (24.8), Roche (23.9), Bristol-Myers Squibb (22.8), MSD (19.2), Takeda (15.7), Sanofi (15.6), AstraZeneca (15.5), Eli Lilly (13.5), Gilead Sciences (12.6), Amgen (12.4), GlaxoSmithKline (11.3), and Bayer (10.5) (unit: hundred million USD).

Based on drug sales volume, the top 10 best-selling drugs in order are: BNT162b2, Humira, Keytruda, Revlimid, Spikevax (mRNA-1273), Eliquis, Imbruvica, Stelara, Opdivo, and Biktarvy.

No. 1: Top 15 Global Pharmaceutical Companies by Revenue in H1 2021

Note: Market capitalization data was collected on August 5, 2021.

01

Johnson & Johnson:Global total revenue for the first half of the year reached $45.633 billion, a year-on-year increase of 16.9%, ranking first; the pharmaceutical segment remains the primary revenue source, generating $24.798 billion in the first half, up 13.3% year-on-year. The top revenue-generating drugs in the pharmaceutical segment are: STELARA ($4.422 billion), DARZALEX ($2.798 billion), IMBRUVICA ($2.241 billion), INVEGA SUSTENNA/XEPLION/INVEGA TRINZA/TREVICTA ($1.989 billion), TREMFYA ($897 million), and ERLEADA ($563 million); of which, the COVID-19 vaccine accounted for $264 million.

02

Roche:Global total revenue in the first half of the year reached CHF 30.7 billion (USD 33.847 billion), representing an 8% year-on-year increase (at constant exchange rates (CER), same below). Among this, Pharmaceuticals revenue stood at CHF 21.7 billion (USD 23.924 billion), down 3% year-on-year; Diagnostics revenue was CHF 9.0 billion (USD 9.932 billion), up 51% year-on-year, with the growth primarily driven by increased sales of COVID-19-related diagnostic products. In the first half, Roche's Pharmaceuticals revenue in China reached CHF 1.7 billion (RMB 12.127 billion), and Diagnostics revenue amounted to CHF 1.22 billion (RMB 8.703 billion), collectively accounting for 9.5% of its global total revenue.

03

Pfizer:Total revenue for the first half reached $33.5 billion, up 68% year-on-year, reflecting explosive growth and ranking third globally. The pharmaceutical segment's revenue stood at $33.5 billion, reclaiming the top position. Specifically, the vaccine segment (primarily driven by the COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 and the 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine) generated $14.1 billion in first-half revenue, while the oncology segment contributed $6.0 billion. BNT162b2 is poised to potentially surpass Humira to become the best-selling drug of all time.

04

Bayer:Total revenue for the first half of the year reached €23.182 billion ($27.433 billion), up 1.24% year-on-year; second-quarter revenue was €10.854 billion ($12.844 billion), up 8.0% year-on-year. Bayer's business portfolio primarily comprises three divisions: Crop Science, Pharmaceuticals, and Consumer Health. Among these, the Pharmaceuticals division reported first-half total revenue of €8.859 billion ($10.483 billion), a year-on-year increase of 3.8%, accounting for approximately 38.21% of overall revenue. Going forward, the company will strategically focus on the cell and gene therapy sector.

05

AbbVie:Ranked 5th, total revenue for the first half of 2021 reached $26.894 billion, a year-on-year increase of 12%. It comprises five major business segments: Immunology revenue was $11.864 billion, accounting for 44%; Hematology-Oncology, $3.489 billion; Neuroscience, $2.707 billion; Aesthetics, $2.575 billion; and Eye Care, $1.736 billion.

06

Novartis:In the first half of the year, revenue reached $25.367 billion, up 7% year-on-year, while net profit stood at $4.954 billion, a 23% increase year-on-year. Cumulative revenue in the China region for the first half amounted to $1.555 billion. Innovative medicines remain the core focus of Novartis's revenue, with sales growth primarily driven by the rheumatology and immunology blockbuster Cosentyx (secukinumab), the novel heart failure drug Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan), and the gene therapy Zolgensma.

07

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS):Total revenue for the first half reached $22.776 billion, up 9% year-on-year; of which, Q2 revenue was $11.703 billion, up 16% year-on-year. Lenalidomide is currently BMS's top-selling product, with first-half sales of $6.146 billion, up 6% year-on-year; the anticoagulant apixaban generated $5.678 billion in revenue in the first half, up 18% year-on-year, making it the fastest-growing "blockbuster" product in BMS's portfolio.

08

MSD:Total revenue for the first half reached $22.029 billion, up 12% year-on-year; second-quarter revenue was approximately $11.402 billion, up 22% year-on-year. The pharmaceutical segment generated $19.218 billion in revenue during the first half, up 12% year-on-year. Current revenue is primarily driven by oncology products and vaccines, with Keytruda as the core product, while olaparib and lenvatinib mesylate are each co-promoted with other companies.

09

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK):Global total revenue for the first half reached $21.99 billion, up 15% year-on-year; of this, Q2 revenue was approximately $11.122 billion, up 6% year-on-year. The oncology segment grew by 69% (at CER), with niraparib sales reaching £98 million, up 38% at CER. Following its approval in August last year, the BCMA-targeted therapy Blenrep achieved Q2 sales of £214 million this year, up 34%. However, not all news in the oncology segment is positive, as the company announced the termination of its Phase II Moonstone study.

10

Sanofi:Total revenue for the first half of the year amounted to €17.3 billion (approximately $20.57 billion), representing a year-on-year increase of 0.9%. Primary revenue was generated from the Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, and Consumer Health divisions. Specifically, first-half revenue for the Pharmaceuticals division was €13.2 billion (approximately $15.69 billion), the Vaccines division generated €1.94 billion (approximately $2.3 billion), and the Consumer Health division contributed €2.2 billion (approximately $2.61 billion).

11

Takeda:It is the multinational biopharmaceutical company with the largest sales performance in Asia. For the fiscal year from April 2020 to March 2021, the company reported full-year revenue of ¥3,197.8 billion (approximately $28.9 billion), a year-on-year decrease of 2.8% primarily due to the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations and divestitures. However, sales of Takeda’s 14 global branded products grew by 16% year-on-year. Among them, revenue from ENTYVIO® (vedolizumab) reached ¥429.3 billion (approximately $3.88 billion), up 26.2% year-on-year; revenue from TAKHZYRO® (lanadelumab) was ¥86.7 billion (approximately $780 million), up 30.0% year-on-year; and revenue from immunoglobulin products was ¥334.9 billion (approximately $3.03 billion), up 15.7% year-on-year. The figures in the above table are calculated based on the period from January 2021 to June 2021, compared with the corresponding period in the previous year.

12

AstraZeneca:Total revenue in the first half of the year reached $15.54 billion, up 23% year-on-year; of which COVID-19 vaccines contributed $1.17 billion, with a current market capitalization of $188.1 billion. Revenue in China amounted to $3.209 billion, up 21% year-on-year, accounting for 21% of AstraZeneca's total revenue. The three major products, Tagrisso, durvalumab, and olaparib, all maintained double-digit rapid growth.

13

Eli Lilly:Total revenue for the first half reached $13.546 billion, representing a 19% year-over-year increase. Excluding $959 million in revenue from COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies, the year-over-year growth for the first half was 11%. In terms of specific marketed products, revenue from nine products—including the diabetes drugs Trulicity and Jardiance, the autoimmune drugs Taltz and Olumiant, the oncology drugs Verzenio, Tyvyt, Retevmo, and Cyramza, and the central nervous system drug Emgality—accounted for over 50% of Eli Lilly's total revenue.

14

Gilead Sciences:Revenue for the first half of the year reached $12.64 billion, up 18.23% year-on-year, marking a return to profitability; the revenue growth was primarily driven by increased demand for Veklury (remdesivir), Biktarvy, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) products.

15

Amgen:First-half revenue reached 124.27, up 0.49% year-on-year. The growth in global sales was driven by increased sales volumes of the osteoporosis drug Prolia (denosumab), the lipid-lowering drug Repatha (evolocumab), and the biosimilars MVASI (bevacizumab), KANJINTI (trastuzumab), and adalimumab.

No. 2 2021 H1 Global Top 10 Best-Selling Drugs

1. BNT162b2 (tozinameran): Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 mRNA vaccine recorded $11.3 billion in sales in the first half of the year, with the full-year sales forecast raised to $33.5 billion. It is virtually guaranteed to surpass Humira to claim the top spot. Given that BNT162b2 provides highly effective protection across all age groups and patients with comorbidities, with an efficacy rate of up to 95%, it is likely to become the first mRNA vaccine approved in China.

2. Humira (adalimumab): First-half revenue for AbbVie/Eisai’s anti-inflammatory drug Humira reached $9.9 billion, with U.S. market revenue increasing by 7% year-over-year and international market revenue declining by 12.6% year-over-year. It is the world’s first approved anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) drug and the globally best-selling anti-inflammatory medication. Currently approved indications include: moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (adults), moderate-to-severe polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (children ≥2 years), psoriatic arthritis (adults), ankylosing spondylitis (adults), moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (individuals ≥12 years), moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease (adults and children ≥6 years), moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (adults and children ≥5 years), moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis (adults), and non-infectious uveitis, posterior uveitis, or panuveitis (adults and children ≥2 years).

3、Keytruda (pembrolizumab): MSD's Keytruda reported first-half sales revenue of $8.076 billion, representing a 23% year-on-year increase. As a PD-1 inhibitor, Keytruda has been approved for nearly 30 indications globally, covering first-line, second-line, and later-line therapies.

4. Revlimid (lenalidomide): The immunomodulatory agent Revlimid is currently BMS's blockbuster product and a first-line therapy for multiple myeloma. First-half sales revenue reached $6.146 billion. In 2020, the product's full-year sales hit a new high of $12.106 billion. Given the current trajectory, Revlimid is poised to set another record high in 2021.

5. Spikevax (mRNA-1273): Currently, Moderna's market capitalization has reached $167.14 billion, surpassing Amgen and BMS; its mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine has cracked the top five global best-selling drugs, with first-half sales of approximately $5.9 billion.

6、Eliquis (apixaban): The blockbuster anticoagulant Eliquis generated revenue of $5.678 billion, up 18% year-on-year. Global sales of the product reached $9.1 billion in 2020, and it is projected to join the ranks of $10-billion drugs in 2021.

7. Imbruvica (ibrutinib): It is the world's first irreversible Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, exerting anti-cancer effects by inhibiting BTK, which is essential for tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. In the United States, it has received FDA approval for seven indications to date. In the oncology field, the dominant market position of the BTK inhibitor Imbruvica remains unshaken, continuing to demonstrate steady growth. Specifically, AbbVie's first-half revenue from the drug stood at $2.649 billion, while Johnson & Johnson's first-half revenue was $2.241 billion.

8. Stelara (ustekinumab): As a fully human dual-targeting interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor, its market performance in 2021 remained outstanding. Its dominant position in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis drove a year-on-year growth of 25.8%, reaching $4.422 billion.

9. Opdivo (nivolumab): In oncology, sales of the "O-drug" Opdivo experienced their first decline in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, this year, with market recovery, it has clearly gradually "regained its momentum," with first-half revenue exceeding $4.1 billion.

10、Biktarvy (Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide, Biktarvy): Following its groundbreaking launch in 2018, it rapidly emerged as the "king of HIV drugs." According to Gilead Sciences' financial report for the first half of 2021, Biktarvy continues to maintain a high growth rate, and as of now, no competing drug in the same therapeutic class has been able to challenge its market dominance.

Summary

Based on the revenue rankings of pharmaceutical companies, the overall performance was significantly impacted by the pandemic, with companies involved in COVID-19 vaccines and pandemic-related diagnostic devices experiencing particularly rapid revenue growth. In terms of best-selling drugs, the two mRNA vaccines, BNT162b2 and Spikevax, saw explosive sales. By the end of 2021, they are expected to enter the $10 billion sales market alongside Humira (for autoimmune diseases), Lipitor (a lipid-lowering agent), Harvoni and Sovaldi (for hepatitis C), Keytruda, Revlimid, and Imbruvica (for oncology), and Eliquis (an anticoagulant).