Sales Forecasts: Sanofi to Replace Pfizer's Top Place in 2012

A research firm says Sanofi will retain the top spot until at least 2016, with Pfizer dropping to third place, behind Novartis.

After nine years as the world’s biggest drugmaker, Pfizer will be replaced in top place in 2012 by French drugmaker Sanofi, according to the consensus sales forecasts by research firm EvaluatePharma.

The report says Sanofi will retain the top spot until at least 2016, with Pfizer dropping to third place, behind Novartis, following patent expiries on its cholesterol blockbuster drug Lipitor.

EvaluatePharma says Sanofi has shot up the rankings over the last decade largely through acquisition, culminating in its $20bn purchase of US biotechnology specialist Genzyme.

Although Pfizer’s US$68bn acquisition of Wyeth in 2009 helped alleviate the pain of the impending loss of Li