Vaccine Sales Growing

Global sales of vaccines grew by 16 percent in 2009, according to healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information, and researchers are forecasting sales to rise at a compound annual rate of 9.7 percent during the next five years, which would push sales to roughly $35 billion. This will be fueled by wider use of current vaccines and the introduction of new ones.

The world’s top five drug makers by revenue also dominate the vaccine market: Pfizer, Merck, Novartis AG, Sanofi-Aventis SA’s Sanofi Pasteur unit and GlaxoSmithKline, in descending order. Besides developing new vaccines, they are working to boost vaccine sales in heavily populated emerging markets, including China and India.