Record-breaking sales of $24.8bn by 2021 predicted for Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech’s (Nasdaq: BNTX) Comirnaty (tozinameran) is forecast to have peak sales of $24.8 billion by 2021, which is only its second year on the market.

This is a 20% increase over Humira’s peak sales of $20.5 billion, suggesting that Comirnaty could be the next top drug by peak sales within only two years of its launch, says analytics company GlobalData.

“Humira has been the top drug by sales for nearly a decade, despite having been on the market for nearly 20 years and having lost its market exclusivity within the EU in 2018 and Japan in 2017,” noted GlobalData analyst for drugs database Quentin Horgan. “The fact that Pfizer/BioNTech is estimated to end this reign after only two years is unprecedented and shows the power of this drug’s high efficacy, its first-to-market status, the demand presented by ongoing vaccination programs and that Comirnaty is considered the gold standard for COVID-19 vaccines,” he said.