SPOTLIGHT: Pharma growth drops to 1961 levels

IMS Health is out with its new annual pharma sales report, and it's not pretty. Revenue grew by only 3.8 percent to $286.5 billion, the slowest pace of expansion since 1961. By contrast, sales expanded by 6 percent in 2006. Total prescription volume rose only by 2.8 percent, compares with 4.6 percent the previous year. One bright spot for the biotech industry? Biotech product sales expanded by 9 percent, and specialist-driven therapies by 10 percent. Report