Antidepressants make up the largest expenditure for medications of any category.
In 2000, the domestic sales of antidepressants in the U.S. totaled $10.4 billion, outweighing all other expenditures for medications. Of these sales, three antidepressants stood out in retail sales–fluoxetine (Prozac) at $2.6 billion, sertraline (Zoloft) at $1.9 billion, and paroxetine (Paxil) at $1.8 billion. Although some antidepressants are prescribed more often than others, there is no compelling reason to prescribe any one over another.
In 2004, antidepressants totaled $13 billion worldwide, with only 10 drugs on the market. Nine of these 10 face a loss of patent from 2006 to 2010. Predictions suggest this loss of patent means a nearly 50 percent loss of total revenues, bringing it down to about $7 billion.
Related material: Prescribing antidepressants
