Sanofi is set to knock Pfizer off the top of the pharmaceutical sales table next year, according to EvaluatePharma sales forecasts.

Aided by acquisitions including US biotechnology company Genzyme, Sanofi is expected to hold the top spot until at least 2016, as Pfizer suffers from the patent expiry of its Lipitor medication.

Although Sanofi medications such as Plavix, Lovenox and Taxotere face substantial generic competition, sales of drugs originally belonging to Genzyme such as Cerezyme and Lumizyme/Myozyme are likely to offset any sales losses.

EvaluatePharma has also predicted Novartis pipping Pfizer to second place, buoyed by the performance of Gilenya, used to treat multiple sclerosis, and Tasigna, used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia.