The Five Most Highly Sold Pharmaceutical Drugs of All-Time

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The pharmaceutical drugs market is huge and constantly has tough competition from new products and copies of old products going in and out. If a drug works really well and can help people, then it will bring in huge sales and massive quantities will be sold. The pharmaceutical drugs that do the best in market are always the new ones that have no competition.  After a while the patent runs out and the generics start to enter into the mix.   Here are the five most highly sold pharmaceutical drugs of all time.

5. Abilify – $4.6 Billion

Abilify is an anti-psychotic drug that can help treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and irritability with Autism. The drug brought in a total of $4.6 billion and really helped elderly patients that suffered from dementia or depression.

4. Advair Diskus – $4.7 Billion

I’m sure that at some point you’ve been friends with somebody who had or has an Advair Diskus. It’s the circular purple thing that went with an inhaler (at least my friend used both). The diskus can help with asthma, bronchitis, and other lung related problems. The Advair Diskus has sold $4.7 billion worth so far and seems like a staple product in the market.

3. Plavix – $6.1 Billion

Plavix is a blood thinner that helps patients who have had a stroke, heart attack, or suffer from any heart related problems. The drug works by keeping your blood platelets from clogging up which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

2. Nexium – $6.3 Billion

Nexium is an antacid drug that treats a lot of stomach problems; heartburn, stomach ulcers, or even a damaged esophagus. Nexium helps anyone with Gastroesophageal  reflex disease, which is when food or liquid leak back into the esophagus which can lead to other irritating symptoms.

1. Lipitor – $7.2 Billion

Iff you’re thinking cholesterol Lipitor is a household name. The drug helps with lowering the body’s cholesterol and triglyceride levels.  It helps reduce the risk of ever suffering from chest pains, a heart attack, a stroke, or any heart related problems.  We don’t see this one going away any time soon.

*We don’t have verified numbers on Viagra but we know it’s probably tops on this list.

Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Written by Blaise Hopkins

Feel free to contact Blaise on Twitter @Blaisehopkins or check out his blog Man and His Movies.