Global prescription-drug sales are forecast to reach $1,017 billion by 2020, for an average annual growth rate of 5.1% between 2013 and 2020. Generic drugs are expected to account for 10.5% of the prescription-drug market by 2020, up from 9.6% in 2013. Biotechnology products’ share of the market is forecast to increase from 22% last year to 27% by 2020. During this period, oncology will be the fastest-growing major-therapy category of prescription drugs, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for sales of 11.2% to $153 billion, followed by anti-diabetics, with a CAGR of 8.7%, and anti-rheumatics, with a CAGR of 3.5%. R&D spending is expected to increase at a CAGR of 2.4% from 2013 to 2020 to reach $162 billion. For the top 20 companies, the CAGR for R&D is expected to increase 2.1% to $101 billion for this period. The value of the drug R&D pipeline increased 46% in 2013 to $418.5 billion, fueled by $63.2 billion in projects targeting the PD-1 (programmed death-1) pathway.

Source: EvaluatePharma