Immunology Market Squeeze: Big Pharma Leaders Face Patent Expiration

The immunology and inflammation (I&I) market is massive, with several big pharma companies leading the way. AbbVie's Humira was the world's top-selling drug for nearly a decade, from 2012 to 2020, but it has since been dethroned by Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty. However, Humira remained in second place with $20.7 billion in sales in 2021.

Other immunology powerhouses include Sanofi and Regeneron's IL-4Rα blocker Dupixent, which brought in $17.8 billion revenue in 2025. But Dupixent is nearing the end of its primary revenue years, with key U.S. exclusivity lasting into 2031.

Merck's Keytruda will soon lose exclusivity, just as weight-loss giants Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk press in with their blockbuster GLP-1s.