drug on the market

Idioms  

1. A commodity whose supply greatly exceeds the demand for it. For example, Now that asbestos is considered dangerous, asbestos tile is a drug on the market. The use of the noun drug in the sense of “something overabundant” (as opposed to a medicine or narcotic) dates from the mid-1600s, but the first record of the full expression, put as drug in the market, dates only from the 1830s.

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Example Sentences

Novartis and MMV are aiming to have the drug on the market in one to 1½ years.

From The Wall Street Journal

He likely got whatever the best rich-person pain drug on the market is to get through the debate.

From Slate

People who come to buy crack don't need a prescription from their doctor; the dealer isn't telling them that it's the safest drug on the market; as a matter of fact, there's no persuasion at all.

From Salon

The change benefited just one drug on the market at the time: Exparel, made by Pacira.

From New York Times

GenBioPro last month filed a separate lawsuit seeking to force the FDA to keep the drug on the market, while Democrat-led states and abortion clinics have filed similar lawsuits against the agency.

From Reuters