Prescription volumes in the U.S. rebounded in the week ending June 5, according to weekly drug trend data reported by Leerink. The total U.S. drug market climbed 10% week-over-week, following a drop of 8% in the prior week that coincided with the Memorial Day holiday.
Within the GLP-1 and related weight-management classes, tirzepatide - marketed as Mounjaro and Zepbound - led growth on a year-over-year basis. For the one-week period, tirzepatide prescriptions were up 46% year-over-year; the four-week pace rose 51% year-over-year; and the 12-week comparison showed a 57% year-over-year increase.
Semaglutide products, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, also posted elevated year-over-year prescription rates. Semaglutide prescriptions increased 22% year-over-year for the one-week measure, 21% for the four-week measure, and 18% for the 12-week measure. Leerink reported that the combined Wegovy franchise - accounting for injectable and oral formulations - expanded 10% week-over-week, while Zepbound prescriptions rose 9% from the prior week.
Newer oral entrants displayed contrasting scale. Foundayo generated roughly 20,000 prescriptions in its ninth week on the market, a 17% week-over-week gain; Leerink noted that this level represents less than one-quarter of oral Wegovy’s approximately 81,000 prescriptions in its ninth week. Oral Wegovy itself reached about 159,000 prescriptions in its 22nd week of launch, up 19% from roughly 134,000 in the 21st week. The report flagged that IQVIA oral Wegovy prescription figures may be understated because they do not capture certain direct-to-consumer channels.
Several specialty biologic franchises also showed solid momentum. AbbVie’s Skyrizi posted year-over-year growth of 26% for the one-week period, 26% for the four-week span, and 35% over 52 weeks. AbbVie’s Rinvoq recorded year-over-year increases of 19% for one week, 25% for four weeks, and 29% for 52 weeks.
Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya exhibited substantial year-over-year gains as well: 68% for the one-week comparison, 71% for four weeks, and 52% for 52 weeks. Leerink attributed part of Tremfya’s lift to inflammatory bowel disease launches that employ full subcutaneous dosing schedules.
On the newer launch front, Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ acute pain drug Journavx produced about 22,000 prescriptions in its 67th week on the market, an increase of 20% from the prior week’s roughly 18,000 prescriptions. Bristol Myers Squibb’s Cobenfy saw prescriptions rise 18% week-over-week, after a 13% decline in the prior week.
Taken together, the weekly snapshot shows a broad-based pickup in prescription activity following a holiday-related trough, with GLP-1 class products and select specialty biologics driving much of the headline growth figures.