Medicine is evolving—and quickly. With chronic diseases surging and scientific innovations accelerating, a new generation of best-selling medicines is revolutionizing the way we treat cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and obesity. These are not merely pharma successes—these are clinical game changers fueling billions of dollars in investment, research, and optimism.

These most-anticipated drugs in 2025 reflect this shift. Cancer drugs such as Keytruda are raising the bar in oncology, and metabolic medicines such as Ozempic and Mounjaro are transforming the treatment of diabetes and weight. And drugs such as Dupixent and Skyrizi are breaking ground in treating chronic inflammatory diseases, bringing targeted comfort to tens of millions.

The best-selling medications in the world are not only business blockbusters—they are also medical breakouts in the treatment of cancer, diabetes, obesity, and chronic disease. Although sales estimates provide mind-boggling numbers—such as Merck & Co.'s Keytruda poised to exceed $31 billion—the tale behind the tabulation is based on mighty innovations that are transforming how we address some of the globe's most urgent health issues.

The pharma landscape of 2025 is considerably characterized by a focused attempt to address some of the most debilitating and entrenched health issues of our era. Cancer, especially aggressive and difficult-to-treat types such as non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, and multiple myeloma, continues to remain high on the agenda, with cutting-edge immunotherapies and biologics at the forefront. Simultaneously, increasing worldwide incidence of metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes and obesity has fueled a new generation of therapies targeted at controlling blood sugar, facilitating weight loss, and lowering cardiovascular risk.

What Diseases are The Main Focus?

Cancer (Oncology)

Cancer is still the biggest and best-funded field in contemporary medicine, with non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, multiple myeloma, and triple-negative breast cancer ranking high. New immunotherapies and monoclonal antibodies are transforming therapy by educating the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells more precisely and with fewer side effects than conventional chemotherapy.

Leading the charge is Keytruda (pembrolizumab), an immunotherapy medication that's transforming cancer treatment. Approved for use to treat several kinds of cancer, including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and others, Keytruda functions by strengthening the immune system so it can more effectively find and kill cancer cells. This type of mechanism, referred to as a checkpoint inhibitor, has significantly enhanced survival rates for many aggressive cancers.

Its estimated $31 billion worth of sales in 2025 attests to more than pure economic success—it is a testament to the extent to which immunotherapies have become integrated in oncology therapy worldwide. The rising cancer burden across the world and high growth in the use of immunotherapies in early-stage treatment are among the principal factors propelling its quick ascension.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder with insulin resistance and persistent hyperglycemia, resulting in long-term damage to the heart, kidneys, and nerves. New drugs not only are enhancing glucose control but also are showing substantial reductions in cardiovascular risks, making them an dual solution for two of the world's top causes of death.

Then come Ozempic and Wegovy, which are trade names for semaglutide, made by Novo Nordisk. The two drugs, though chemically the same, have very different uses. Ozempic is indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, whereas Wegovy is indicated for long-term weight management in people who have obesity or overweight and one or more weight-related conditions.

Semaglutide is a mimic of the GLP-1 hormone, controlling insulin secretion, appetite, and digestion. Its success is representative of the increasing convergence between metabolic health and management of chronic disease. Together, these drugs are expected to account for more than $36 billion in 2025, not just an indication of their medical importance but also of society's increasing interest in the prevention of diabetes and obesity.

Obesity

Obesity is increasingly being seen as a chronic, complex disease rather than merely a matter of lifestyle, and it's firmly connected with diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer. New generation weight-loss medications imitate gut hormones to reduce hunger, control blood sugar, and achieve long-term weight loss without surgery.

Eli Lilly's blockbuster, tirzepatide, takes a parallel course with its two brand names, Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss. With its novel dual-action mechanism acting on GLP-1 and GIP receptors, it has even more potent appetite suppression and glucose lowering compared to earlier treatments.

Mounjaro's $19.8 billion forecasted sales, combined with Zepbound's $11.3 billion, are testament to the status of tirzepatide as a next-generation therapy for the obesity-diabetes continuum. With obesity as a gateway disease for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, the role of drugs such as these in the preventive sphere cannot be overemphasized.

Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

Diseases like eczema (atopic dermatitis), asthma, nasal polyps, and eosinophilic esophagitis are fueled by hyperactive immune reactions that lead to ongoing inflammation and tissue injury. Biologics for targeted therapies are enabling patients to control these diseases over the long term by silencing particular immune pathways, leading to enhanced quality of life and reduced flare-ups.

Outside of cancer and metabolic disorders, chronic inflammatory and viral diseases also top the list of 10:

Dupixent (dupilumab) is revolutionizing treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis, asthma, and eosinophilic esophagitis by addressing the IL-4 and IL-13 pathway responsible for allergic inflammation. Its estimated $16.9 billion indicates the increasing application of biologics in dermatological and respiratory conditions.

Skyrizi (risankizumab), for plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn's disease, employs IL-23 blockade to decrease systemic inflammation. Its increasing popularity indicates an increased emphasis on fewer side effects and targeted immunomodulators.

HIV/AIDS

Treatment for HIV has improved with once-daily combination tablets that suppress the virus, prevent transmission, and promote near-normal life expectancy. The regimens are now maximized for tolerability and long-term administration, including pediatric and adolescent options.

Biktarvy, which is an HIV drug made by Gilead, combines three antiviral medicines to hold back the virus and make treatment regimens easier. As HIV progresses to become a chronic manageable disease, Biktarvy's projected $13.4 billion sales reflect its place in contemporary, once-daily HIV treatment.

Cardiovascular Disease

The prevention of strokes, blood clots, and heart attacks is a central focus in world health, especially in older adults. Oral anticoagulants are commonly used to treat atrial fibrillation and prevent thromboembolism after surgery or due to chronic disease without the requirement for ongoing blood monitoring.

Eliquis (apixaban), an anticoagulant for stroke prevention and deep vein thrombosis, remains a best-seller. With aging populations and increasing cases of atrial fibrillation, so does demand for safer anticoagulants increase. Its $13 billion forecast confirms the value of preventive cardiology.

COVID-19

Although the pandemic's peak has already gone, innovation in vaccines continues to safeguard susceptible groups and look ahead to future variants. mRNA-based platforms became a template for rapid-response vaccine development, representing a pivot in infectious disease prevention.

At the same time, Comirnaty, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, holds its commercial value at $13.5 billion in anticipated 2025 sales. While demand for vaccination on a worldwide scale has leveled off, booster drives, new strains, and breaking into mRNA-based flu and RSV vaccines keep Comirnaty in worldwide circulation.

Top 10 Drugs Projected by Global Sales in 2025

What holds all of these number-one-selling medications together is their evidence of a larger shift in world medicine. The action is more personalized, with gene-targeting and biologics mirroring the old one-size-fits-all approach. There's a discernible trend toward preventive health, where problems like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease are treated early and aggressively.

Additionally, the triumph of drugs such as Keytruda, Dupixent, and Skyrizi reflects the broadening scope of immune-based treatments, not only in cancer but in dermatology, gastroenterology, and pulmonology. Likewise, the call for metabolic treatments reflects public health efforts addressing global epidemics such as obesity and diabetes.

Though forecasted 2025 revenues of leading medicines present stunning numbers, the actual story involves what these medications are accomplishing for patients. From transforming cancer treatment to allowing long-term weight management, to allowing people with HIV to live longer and healthier—these drugs are milestones in contemporary medicine.

In a disturbing case from the US state of Florida, a pregnant woman in active labor was forced to attend a virtual court hearing via Zoom from her hospital bed for refusing a Cesarean delivery, also known as C-section — a common method of childbirth.

ProPublica reported that Cherise Doyley was in her 12th hour of contractions at the University of Florida Health facility, when she was, without her consent, made to sit in front of a host of people — a judge in a black robe and several lawyers, doctors, and hospital staff — for the Zoom proceeding.

While in active labor, a nurse came in with a bedsheet and told her to cover up, and a supervisor followed with a tablet.

“It’s a real judge in there?” Doyley asked the nurse at the beginning of what would be a three-hour hearing.

What Was The Case?

The mother of three, and a professional birthing doula, Doyley had arrived at the facility after her water broke.

While her doctors expressed concerns about the risk of uterine rupture —a potentially deadly complication for her and her baby — Doyley wanted to try for a vaginal delivery, as the risk was less than 2 percent, unless there was an emergency.

She told doctors she wouldn’t consent to a cesarean without trying to have a vaginal delivery first.

While the doctors initially relented, after several hours, she had to face a virtual court hearing, where the hospital and state attorney’s office forced Doyley to undergo a cesarean section.

Doyley has her own reasons to avoid a C-sec. She already had three prior C-sections, and one that resulted in a hemorrhage. She feared that a C-sec would lead to another serious complication and a lengthy recovery, and her kids would suffer.

However, the hospital was worried that her medical decisions may cause harm to the fetus, and that the courts may help decide which one mattered more, the report said.

Also read: Maternal Vaccination During Pregnancy Can Prevent COVID-related Hospitalization In Babies: Study

After three hours of testimony — all while Doyley lay in her hospital bed — the judge ruled that she could keep laboring unless there was an emergency. If that happened, the hospital could operate, whether she wanted it or not.

Overnight, doctors said the baby’s heart rate dropped for seven minutes. Doyley woke to her hospital bed being wheeled into surgery. The baby girl was delivered by C-section, the report said.

What Happens In A C-section?

It is a surgical procedure that is used to deliver a baby through an incision made in the abdomen and uterus.

The method is preferred, especially in cases with complications during labor or breech presentation, or multiple births.

Unlike the popular conception, it hurts. In a vaginal delivery, the pain is experienced during labor and pushing, especially if done without an epidural.

Whereas, in a C-section, a surgery is performed that numbs the body from the chest down. However, the recovery could be painful and prolonged. It is also because in a C-section, it involves healing from a major abdominal surgery, while vaginal birth recovery may be quicker, more complicated, or traumatic.

Also read: 'Husband Stitch': A Medical Necessity Or Just A Tool To Objectify Women's Bodies?

Does A C-sec Affect The Baby?

Usually, it does not harm the baby, but there could be potential risks to the baby, including:

• Surgical injury, which is very rare; however, the baby may be accidentally nicked during the incision.

• Respiratory issues: Babies born via C-section may have a higher risk of breathing, since they miss the natural compression during the vaginal birth that helps expel the amniotic fluid from their lungs

• Delayed bonding: Immediate skin-to-skin contact may take longer due to the surgical process.
• Feeding challenges: Some newborns may initially struggle with breastfeeding.

Risks Of A C-section Birth?

• Excessive blood loss
• Infection
• Blood clots in the legs, lungs, or pelvis
• Damage to nearby organs
• Adverse reactions to anesthesia

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advises against elective C-sections due to these potential complications.

American drugmaker Eli Lilly’s first oral pill for weight loss, Orforglipron, marketed as Foundayo, has been given the green signal by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Lilly is also known for injectable drugs like Zepbound for obesity and Mounjaro and Trulicity for diabetes.

Foundayo’s approval comes after the US FDA in December last year approved Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill — the first-ever GLP-1 pill for weight loss. The Danish drugmaker rolled out the pill in January this year.

Novo Nordisk was also the first to launch oral GLP 1 Rybelsus to treat type 2 diabetes. It was approved by the US FDA in September 2019.

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In a statement, the US FDA said that "Foundayo has been approved for use in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. The pill is targeted to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction for the long term in adults with obesity or overweight".

Lilly said that the drug will be available from April 6 through its its direct-to-consumer platform LillyDirect at a cost of $149 per month for the lowest dose for self-pay customers — on par with Novo's pill. "Shortly after” it will be available through retail pharmacies and telehealth providers in the US.

"Today, fewer than 1 in 10 people who could benefit from a GLP-1 are taking one, held back by access, stigma, perceived complexity, or the belief that their condition isn't serious enough for treatment. We believe Foundayo can help level the playing field for those living with obesity or who are overweight and living with weight-related complications," said David A. Ricks, chair and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company.

"As a convenient, once-daily oral pill that delivers meaningful weight loss, this is obesity care designed for the real world," he added.

Foundayo: A Meaningful Reduction In Body Weight

Also Read: Foundayo: US FDA Approves Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 Weight Loss Pill

In these trials, 72 weeks of treatment with Foundayo, in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, resulted in a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in body weight.

Deborah Horn, Director of the Center for Obesity Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, stated that Foundayo “delivered an average of 12.4 percent weight loss at the highest dose in clinical trials – addressing both the clinical realities of obesity and the practical challenges patients face every day."

In addition, Foundayo also led to reductions in many markers of cardiovascular risk, including waist circumference, non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and systolic blood pressure across all doses, Eli Lilly said.

How Foundayo Works

Lilly licensed Orforglipron, the main ingredient in Foundayo, from a Japanese pharmaceutical company in 2018.

As with the injectable forms of GLP-1s, Foundayo is available in six doses, ranging from 0.8mg to 17.2mg.

In consultation with their doctors, patients start with the lowest dose and gradually work up to higher doses; not everyone may need to reach the highest dose.

Also read: Eli Lilly's Experimental GLP-1 Pill Shows Promising Weight Loss

Unlike the Wegovy pill, people taking orforglipron do not need to restrict food or drink after taking the pill. Orforglipron is a small molecule that the body can absorb quickly and get into the blood, where it reaches the necessary tissues.

Foundayo: Side Effects

Foundayo is not safe for use in children and has an increased list of side effects, such as tumors in the thyroid, including thyroid cancer.

The drugmaker urged watching for possible symptoms, such as

• a lump or swelling in the neck,
• hoarseness,
• trouble swallowing
• shortness of breath.

• nausea,
• constipation,
• diarrhea,
• vomiting,
• indigestion,
• stomach (abdominal) pain,
• headache,
• swollen belly,
• feeling tired,
• belching,
• heartburn,
• gas,
• hair loss.

New Zealand has stepped up surveillance after the first detection of a dengue and Zika-carrying mosquito larvae in the country.

The larval species was confirmed as 'Aedes aegypti' — known to carry diseases including dengue fever, yellow fever, Zika, and chikungunya, across the globe.

As New Zealand does not normally have the mosquito species, the larvae detected were counted as "exotic".

The mosquito species did not cause any outbreak, but were spotted during a routine surveillance program in Auckland.

"The National Public Health Service has commenced a heightened surveillance and interception programme following mosquito larvae being collected from a routine surveillance trap at Queens Wharf, Auckland, on Monday 30 March," Health New Zealand said in a statement.

Health New Zealand reported that exotic species were occasionally found at ports and airports.

Not A Public Threat Yet

The health body noted that the larvae were not considered a public health or biosecurity threat yet because there was no indication they had become established.

But the agency aimed to continue "intensive monitoring for at least three weeks".

"The monitoring would take place within a 400m radius of the site where the larvae were identified. Health Protection Officers would place mosquito traps in the survey area," the statement said.

"These have been hidden away from plain sight so they are not disturbed, for example, in old tyres, bushes, or pools of water. We ask members of the public to avoid touching or disturbing these traps if they find them, as it may disrupt our monitoring and trapping efforts," medical officer of health Dr David Sinclair said.

Sinclair said New Zealanders were most at risk from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes when travelling overseas, including to Pacific Island countries and territories where dengue fever was known to be present.

Dengue Surging In 17 Countries

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a travel alert of dengue outbreaks across 17 countries.

The CDC alert issued on March 23 identified 17 countries reporting an increased number of cases of dengue. These include: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Colombia, Cook Islands, Cuba, Guyana, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, New Caledonia, Pakistan, Samoa, Sudan, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and the United States territories of American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, where local transmission is already common.

Also read: Long-term Exposure To Air Pollution Increases Fatality Rates In Dengue: Study

What Is Dengue?

Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites. It is transmitted through infected mosquitoes, primarily the species Aedes aegypti.

The breakbone fever is caused by an infection with any of four different dengue viruses. These include:

• Dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1 or DEN-1)

• Dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2 or DEN-2)

• Dengue virus type 3 (DENV-3 or DEN-3)

• Dengue virus type 4 (DENV-4 or DEN-4)

Also read: New dengue vaccine over 80% effective, prevents severe disease for up to 5 years

Common Symptoms of dengue include:

• Sudden onset of high-grade fever.

• Intense headache

• Severe muscle, joint, or bone pain.

• Skin Rash that often appears 2–5 days after the fever starts

• Nausea and Vomiting

• Minor bleeding

• Fatigue.