The pharmaceutical industry occasionally hits a home run by creating a drug that generates sales in excess of $1 billion per year – the watermark for what constitutes a so-called “blockbuster.” These heavy-hitters are a rarity relative to the number of drugs that begin development but never really go anywhere. But the proverbial whale hunt for blockbuster drugs continues because some of these therapies can end up being worth tens of billions of dollars during their useful, patent-protected lives.
No investor owns a crystal ball, of course. Ergo, no investor can truly predict how well a new drug may sell if it gains approval from the FDA or overseas regulatory bodies.
But because it takes years to develop a drug – and because most pharmaceuticals are largely variations of previously approved therapies – analysts and industry experts have the time and means to figure out what kind of potential revenue a new drug may drive.
Here’s a run-down of the pharmaceutical market’s top 10 prospects currently in late-stage testing. While their respective approvals aren’t guaranteed, the pros feel pretty good about their odds. (Good enough to start creating revenue outlooks, anyway.) All are projected to become so-called blockbuster drugs, driving more than $1 billion in annual revenue at their projected peak sales and potentially providing a boost to their creators’ stock prices.
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Date — November 30, 2017 5:00 am
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