Pallavi Rao
2024-11-04 08:11:00
www.visualcapitalist.com
Ranked: America’s Most Popular Drugs by Dollars Spent
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Tired of hearing about yet another celebrity’s Ozempic-inspired weight loss journey? Well, all those testimonials are adding up: driving expenditure towards one particular category of medication in America, and helping the revenues of several major pharmaceutical companies.
This graphic lists America’s top drugs by money spent on them at hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies in 2023. Data is sourced from the AARP.
Ranked: America’s Top-Selling Drugs in 2023
Americans are spending big on drugs to manage type 2 diabetes and their weight.
Right at the top, semaglutide, (available as Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy) attracted nearly $40 billion in consumer spending in 2023.
| Rank | Name | Brand Names | Consumer Spending 2023 |
Prescribed for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Semaglutide |
Ozempic, WeGovy |
$38.6B | Diabetes, Weight loss |
| 2 | Adalimumab |
Humira | $35.3B | Arthritis, Crohn’s disease |
| 3 |  Apixaban |
Eliquis | $22.1B | Prevent blood clots |
| 4 | Dulaglutide |
Trulicity | $16.3B | Diabetes |
| 5 | Empagliflozin |
Jardiance | $15.9B | Diabetes |
| 6 | Ustekinumab |
Stelara | $15.9B | Arthritis, Crohn’s disease |
| 7 | Pembrolizumab |
Keytruda | $15.4B | Cancer treatment |
| 8 | Tirzepatide |
Mounjaro, Zepbound |
$13.2B | Diabetes, Weight loss |
| 9 | Bictegravir |
Biktarvy | $13.2B | HIV infection |
| 10 | Dupilumab |
Dupixent | $11.5B | Eczema, Asthma |
Initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes, semaglutide is now the key active ingredient in weight loss drugs for those who can afford it. It’s estimated that the medication can cost upwards of $1,000 a month without insurance.
Meanwhile, three other medications on this list (dulaglutide, empagliflozin, and tirzepatide) are also prescribed for type 2 diabetes. The last one, tirzepatide, (Mounjaro, Zepbound) is also known for weight loss benefits.
Other drugs that attract significant dollars include adalimumab and ustekinumab (found in Humira and Stelara), are used to treat arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
Altogether, Americans spent nearly $200 billion on the top 10 most popular drugs, which is about 29% of the $722 billion spent in total on medicines in 2023.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
Ozempic’s popularity has made manufacturer, Norvo Nordisk, Denmark’s largest company. Check out the Most Valuable Companies in the EU for a full regional breakdown.
The post Ranked: America’s Most Popular Drugs by Dollars Spent appeared first on Visual Capitalist.
Support Techcratic
If you find value in Techcratic’s insights and articles, consider supporting us with Bitcoin. Your support helps me, as a solo operator, continue delivering high-quality content while managing all the technical aspects, from server maintenance to blog writing, future updates, and improvements. Support Innovation! Thank you.
Bitcoin Address:
bc1qlszw7elx2qahjwvaryh0tkgg8y68enw30gpvge
Please verify this address before sending funds.
Bitcoin QR Code
Simply scan the QR code below to support Techcratic.
Please read the Privacy and Security Disclaimer on how Techcratic handles your support.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, Techcratic may earn from qualifying purchases.
