The pharmaceutical market in 2025 was defined by high-value specialty brands delivering breakthrough outcomes in oncology, metabolic disease, immunology and cardiovascular care. The following top-selling brands not only generated record revenues but also reinforced the long-term strategic positioning of their parent companies.
1. Keytruda — ~$31.7B
Company: Merck & Co.
Keytruda remained the world’s best-selling medicine in 2025, dominating immuno-oncology across lung, melanoma, renal, and multiple other cancers.
Brand Insight: Continued label expansion, earlier-line usage and combination regimens have strengthened its clinical moat.
Company Strategy: Merck is aggressively investing in next-generation oncology platforms and combination trials to extend Keytruda’s lifecycle beyond patent cliffs. Strategic acquisitions and ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) investments aim to sustain oncology leadership post-LOE.
2. Mounjaro — ~$23.0B
Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Mounjaro led the diabetes and metabolic segment with rapid global uptake.
Brand Insight: Its dual GIP/GLP-1 mechanism differentiates it clinically, driving superior weight loss and glycemic outcomes.
Company Strategy: Lilly is leveraging manufacturing scale, obesity indication expansion and cardiovascular outcome trials to transform its metabolic franchise into a multi-decade growth platform.
3. Ozempic — ~$20.0B
Company: Novo Nordisk
Ozempic remained foundational in global diabetes care.
Brand Insight: Strong cardiovascular data and brand loyalty supported sustained prescribing.
Company Strategy: Novo Nordisk continues heavy investment in next-gen incretin therapies and supply chain expansion to maintain leadership in the competitive GLP-1 category.
4. Dupixent — ~$18.5B
Companies: Sanofi & Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Dupixent expanded across multiple inflammatory conditions including atopic dermatitis and asthma.
Brand Insight: High efficacy and strong safety profile drove durable patient adherence.
Company Strategy: The companies are focused on expanding into additional type 2 inflammatory diseases, reinforcing Dupixent as a long-term immunology anchor.
5. Skyrizi — ~$17.6B
Company: AbbVie
Skyrizi became AbbVie’s primary growth driver in immunology.
Brand Insight: Expansion into Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis strengthened its position beyond psoriasis.
Company Strategy: AbbVie’s post-Humira strategy centers on Skyrizi and Rinvoq to stabilize revenue and offset biosimilar erosion.
6. Darzalex — ~$14.5B
Company: Johnson & Johnson
Darzalex maintained leadership in multiple myeloma.
Brand Insight: Subcutaneous delivery improved patient convenience and increased adoption rates.
Company Strategy: J&J is reinforcing its oncology pipeline through cell therapy, bispecific antibodies and next-gen immunotherapies to complement Darzalex revenue.
7. Eliquis — ~$14.4B
Companies: Bristol Myers Squibb & Pfizer
A leading anticoagulant therapy in cardiovascular care.
Brand Insight: Strong real-world data and physician trust ensured continued demand.
Company Strategy: Both companies are preparing for patent expiry while investing in next-generation cardiovascular and specialty assets.
8. Biktarvy — ~$14.3B
Company: Gilead Sciences
Biktarvy sustained global leadership in HIV treatment.
Brand Insight: High barrier to resistance and simplified regimen maintained market share.
Company Strategy: Gilead is diversifying into oncology and long-acting HIV formulations to balance future revenue risk.
9. Zepbound — ~$13.5B
Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Focused on obesity management, Zepbound expanded Lilly’s metabolic dominance.
Brand Insight: Positioned within a rapidly expanding global obesity treatment market.
Company Strategy: Lilly’s integrated obesity ecosystem — from clinical trials to direct-to-consumer engagement — strengthens franchise defensibility.
10. Wegovy — ~$12.5B
Company: Novo Nordisk
A leader in chronic weight management worldwide.
Brand Insight: Sustained demand driven by medical and lifestyle adoption.
Company Strategy: Novo Nordisk is scaling global production capacity and pursuing next-generation obesity therapies to protect long-term share.
Strategic Industry Outlook
2025 confirms three structural growth pillars:
• Metabolic and obesity therapies driving unprecedented revenue expansion
• Oncology maintaining premium pricing and innovation cycles
• Immunology biologics offsetting major patent expirations
Companies that combine lifecycle management, manufacturing scalability, indication expansion and data-driven commercialization are best positioned to sustain leadership beyond 2025.
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