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The 5 Top-Selling Drugs In The World

Wayne Duggan

The 2016 election season has brought the topic of prescription drug pricing and profits into the limelight. Most patients paying for medication are acutely aware of the billions of dollars of global drug sales that the top pharmaceutical companies rake in each year.

With the elections now less than two months away, here’s a look at the five top-selling drugs in the world and which companies are behind them.

Enbrel — $8.7 Billion Annual Sales

Enbrel is owned by Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) and is a treatment for arthritis and psoriasis. Amgen has reportedly raised the price of Enbrel by 80.3 percent since 2013.

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Abilify — $9.3 Billion Annual Sales

Abilify is owned by Otsuka Group and is prescribed for serious mental illnesses such as severe depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. The cost of Abilify can run around $900 per month for patients suffering from these conditions.

Related Link: The Search For Silver Linings In The Cloud Of Negative Novavax News

Sovaldi — $9.4 Billion Annual Sales

Sovaldi is owned by Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) and is used for the treatment of Hepatitis C. After gaining FDA approval for Sovaldi in 2013, Gilead priced a 12-week dose of the drug at $84,000.

Lantus — $10.3 Billion Annual Sales

Lantus is owned by Sanofi SA (ADR) (NYSE: SNY) and is used for the treatment of diabetes. A 2015 Bloomberg report found that the price of Lantus has increased in wholesale by more than 160 percent in the last five years.

Humira — $11.8 Billion Annual Sales

Humira is owned by AbbVie Inc (NYSE: ABBV) and is prescribed for the treatment of arthritis, psoriasis and bowel diseases. IMS Health data show the price of Humira having risen 126 percent from 2011 to 2014, the largest jump of any top 10 drug.

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