Swedish drug sales rose 13.7% in the first nine months of 1995 over the like, year-earlier period, reports LIF, the Swedish drug industry association. Sales of human-use medicines rose 13.9% to 8.45 million kroner ($1.25 billion) to account for 97.9% of the total. The price index for medicines, at pharmacy purchase prices, rose 1.8%, or 1.7% at pharmacy selling prices, compared with a 2.3% rise in the Consumer Price Index.
Dramatic growth was reported for a number of therapeutic categories, most notably the antidepressants, whose sales were up 90.2%, followed by cholesterol and triglyceride lowerers, rising 26.7%. Rises over 20% were also reported for systemic antihistamines (27.6%), antimigraine preparations (26.7%), proton pump inhibitors (26.1%), immunosuppressives (20.9%) and cytostatic hormones (20.8%).
LIF also reports that Sweden's top-selling medicine in 1994 was Hassle Lakemedel's Losec (omeprazole), with sales of 541 million kroner, followed by Draco Lakemedel's Pulmicort Turbuhaler (budesonide) at 330 million kroner. Both firms are members of the Astra group, but Astra was only the fourth-largest company on the market, with sales of 582 million kroner. Market leader was Pharmacia with sales of 1.43 billion kroner, followed by hassle on 1.02 billion kroner and Glaxo on 680 million kroner. However, Astra was the leading group, with sales of 2.55 billion kroner, then Pharmacia on 1.83 billion kroner, Glaxo on 680 million kroner and Novo Nordisk on 463 million kroner.
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