Pharmaceutical sales increase by EUR 165 million in 2025 – growth due to new medicines and new uses

For the second year running, the most sold medicine in terms of euros was semaglutide used in the treatment of diabetes and obesity, whose sales continued to grow strongly. The increase in its use was also more visible more broadly in medicines for digestive and metabolic diseases, the sales of which increased by more than 5 per cent.

There was a strong increase in the number of people using medications to treat obesity: nearly 90,000 people used semaglutide for the treatment of obesity. The use and sales of other diabetes medicines, especially gliflozins, also increased. On the other hand, the sales of insulins decreased, which may have been influenced by the introduction of pharmacist-led substitution (the opportunity to select a cheaper equivalent medicine at the pharmacy) of biologic medicines and changes in treatment practices.

Price competition and new treatments shape the pharmaceutical sales

Medications for cardiovascular diseases maintained their strong position among the most consumed pharmaceuticals. Sales increased even though the majority of the products are subject to generic substitution. The growth is due in particular to lipid medicines, such as rosuvastatin, whose sales increased more than consumption. This may be due to an increase in reference prices and shortages.

On the other hand, the sales of medicines for haematological conditions developed in the opposite direction: sales decreased substantially, even though consumption increased slightly. This was due in particular to a decrease in the prices of antithrombotic medicines as a result of generic substitution. Anticoagulant medicines apixaban and rivaroxaban, which were previously among the best-selling medicines, also fell from the list of bestsellers as a result of price competition.

The sale of anticancer drugs and immune response modulators grew moderately and is approaching EUR 1 billion.

“The growth is mainly due to new, expensive pharmacotherapies, although in some groups, price competition has recently slowed down the growth of costs,” says Senior Researcher Kati Sarnola from Kela.

Daratumumab, which is used in the treatment of multiple myeloma and amyloid light-chain, became one of the most sold medicinal substances.

Changes in the use of medicines in several areas

The use of HRT in the treatment of menopause continued to grow, and the growth was faster than in previous years.

“The reason for this may be increased public discussion on menopause symptoms and new treatment recommendations,” says Head of Research Leena Saastamoinen from Fimea.

The consumption of antibiotics decreased for the first time in several years. The use of antibacterial agents decreased by 6 per cent from the previous year. In the long term, consumption has fluctuated due to the effects of the pandemic, but development in 2025 suggests a possible new downward trend.

The total consumption of medicines affecting the nervous system increased moderately, but the development varied within the medicine group. The use of opioids decreased, while the use of pregabalin and gabapentin, used in the treatment of chronic pain, increased.

The use of melatonin continued to grow steadily, and it became one of the ten most consumed active ingredients. Its consumption increased by almost one fifth in a year and already accounts for the majority of sleep medicines in use. The consumption of traditional benzodiazepines as sleep medicines continued to decrease. The increase in the use of antidepressants also slowed down substantially from previous years. The consumption and sales of ADHD medications also continued to grow rapidly.

Kela’s pharmaceutical reimbursements grew

As a result of the growth in pharmaceutical sales, the pharmaceutical reimbursements paid by Kela also increased to EUR 1.98 billion, which means an increase of 4 per cent from the previous year. On the other hand, the number of people receiving reimbursements decreased slightly, to about 54% of the population.

Reimbursements for medicines increased especially in the higher special rate of reimbursement category, which includes medicines for severe and long-term illnesses, such as cancers. These reimbursements increased by 8 per cent. On the other hand, the reimbursements in the lower special rate of reimbursement category decreased. This may have been influenced by the price competition and generic substitution of biological medicines.

OTC market undergoing change

The sale and consumption of over the counter (OTC) medicines changed little from the previous year. The most sold OTC medicine was still nicotine, even though its sales decreased. The use of painkillers remained stable, and the sales of the laxative macrogol continued to grow.

However, a significant structural change is coming:  the legislative amendment adopted at the end of 2025 will see some OTC medicines sold also outside pharmacies from 2027 onwards. The change may affect the availability of medicines and purchasing habits.

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Finnish Statistics on Medicines 2026 (julkari.fi)