The total revenue from branded cardiovascular drugs in 2017 is projected to be just over $40 billion. Top companies in this space are putting a heavy focus on the anti-thrombotic segment, as these drugs continue to bring in the biggest profit and dominate the cardiovascular market.

Figures ($M) represent projected 2017 global sales of cardiovascular products. Credit: GlobalData.

Bayer currently holds the top spot in the market with 2017 sales of $5.4 billion; however, Sanofi and BMS come in a close second and third with sales of $5.1 and $4.7 billion, respectively.

Overall, apart from the anticoagulants segment, companies are investing less frequently due to the heavily genericized and mature nature of the cardiovascular market. This and the high cost of drug development makes the cardiovascular market hard to penetrate, especially for smaller, less established companies.

The clear leaders in sales of cardiovascular drugs are Eliquis and Xarelto (NOACs). These two drugs currently represent over 30% of the total cardiovascular market and their shares will continue to expand.

Despite high clinical unmet needs, this market is not expected to grow significantly in the near future, with the exception of the NOACs class.

Figures ($M) represent projected 2017 global sales. Credit: GlobalData.