Table 1.

Overview of a selection of currently available peptide/protein therapeutics.

Generic drug name	Size	indications†	Recent sales numbers	Route delivered†	Ref.
Etanercept	150 kDa	RA, psoriatic arthritis, plaque psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis	US$7.9 billion (2012)	sc.	[403]
Insulin glargine	53 AA, 6.1 kDa	Type 1 and 2 DM	$6.6 billion (2012)	sc.	[403]
Pegfilgrastim	39 kDa	Neutropenia	$4.1 billion (2012)	sc.	[403]
Salmon calcitonin	32 AA	Osteoporosis	1,700,000 Units (2011)	im., sc., intranasal	[2]
Cyclosporine	Cyclic, 11 AA	Prophylaxis, solid organ rejection	$579 million (2012)	Oral, iv.	[3]
Octreotide	8 AA, somatostatin analog	Acromegaly, gigantism, symptomatic relief of carcinoid syndrome	Estimated $1.5 billion (2011)	iv., sc., im. (depot)	[4]
Liraglutide	31 AA, 3.8 kDa	Type 2 DM (GLP-1 agonist)	Estimated $843 million (Q3 2012–Q2 2013)	sc.	[401]
Bivalirudin	2.2 kDa	Anticoagulant	$481 million (2011)	iv.	[5]
Desmopressin	9 AA (8 d-AA)	Nocturnal enuresis	610,000 Rx US (2009)	iv., im., sc., intranasal	[6]

^†Data taken from [402].

AA: Amino acid; DM: Diabetes mellitus; GLP: Glucagon-like peptide; im.: Intramuscular; iv.: Intravenous; RA: Rheumatoid arthritis; sc.: Subcutaneous.