Among the top global pharmaceutical companies in 2019, MSD Korea secured the number one spot in terms of revenue last year, recording 769 billion won.

The decisive factor for MSD Korea's top sales is thanks to the rapid growth of its immunotherapy Keytruda, which grew from 70.2 billion won in sales in 2018 to 122.4 billion in 2019.

The Medical Observer utilized 2019 data from market research firm IQVIA to place the domestic sales of the top 15 multinational pharmaceutical firms last year.

According to IQVIA data, MSD revenue based on 79 drugs grew to 769.9 billion won in 2019 from 684.9 billion won in 2018, indicating 12.4 percent growth.

Pfizer Korea, which stood in second place, saw its revenue grow to 728.1 billion won of 190 drug items in 2019 from 725.3 billion won the year prior, showing 0.4 percent revenue growth.

Pfizer Korea topped the charts in 2018 but lost its top-grossing spot to MSD due to MSD’s explosive growth.

In third place came Novartis Korea, bringing in 525.7 billion won in 2019 from 122 products. The firm recorded a 5.7 percent growth from revenue sales of 497.3 billion won in 2018.

Sanofi-Aventis Korea, which sells a total of 101 items in Korea, took fourth place.

Sanofi-Aventis Korea raised its revenue from 476.9 billion won in 2018 to 506.3 billion won in 2019, recording a 6.1 percent growth.

Roche Korea came in fifth, having raised its revenue from 390.8 billion won in 2018 based on 45 products to 447.1 billion won in 2019. It grew 14.4 percent within the period.

Sixth was AstraZeneca Korea, which sells 53 products in the country. AstraZeneca marked 433.8 billion won of sales in 2019, and 385 billion won in 2018, indicating 12.6 percent growth.

GSK Korea held fast to seventh place. It was seventh in 2018, had 302.5 billion won from 105 products, and maintained its position in 2019 with 325.4 billion won. The company recorded 7.5 percent of revenue growth. 

Bayer Korea was eighth, recording 5 percent growth with 302.3 billion won in 2018 to 317.5 billion won in 2019. It sells 83 products in the country.

Boehringer Ingelheim Korea ranked ninth both in 2018 and 2019. It recorded 280.4 billion won in 2018, and 305.8 billion won in 2019, showing 9 percent revenue growth from 37 products.

In 10th place came Astellas Korea. It recorded 7.4 percent growth, with 279.4 billion won in sales in 2018 to 300.3 billion won in 2019 from 13 products.

Next came Janssen in 11th place, Takeda 12th, and Lilly 13th.

Janssen Korea recorded 279.7 billion won in 2019, marking an increase from 242.9 billion won in sales in 2018. The company showed a 15.1 percent revenue increase.

Takeda Korea’s revenue increased 6.2 percent from 195.4 billion won in 2018 to 207.6 billion in 2019. The firm sells 33 products in the country.

Eli Lilly & Company Korea showed an 11.1 percent increase from 172.8 billion won in 2019 to 192.1 billion won in 2018 based on 39 items.

Abbvie Korea and BMS Korea came in 14th and 15th, respectively. The revenue standing marks a switch from the year prior when Abbvie Korea was 15th, and BMS was 14th.

Abbvie Korea, which sells 13 products in the country, recorded 183.9 billion won in sales in 2019, marking a 33.8 percent increase from 137.5 billion won in 2018.

BMS recorded 5.4 percent growth from 150.9 billion won in 2018 to 159.1 billion won in 2019. The company sells 28 products in the country.