Rheumatoid Arthritis Market Expected to More than Double in Value to US$27 Billion by 2015

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c87503) has announced the addition of "Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Discoveries: What The Future Holds" to their offering.

“Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Discoveries: What The Future Holds”

With significant unmet clinical need and the progressive introduction of higher value and effective biopharmaceuticals, the rheumatoid arthritis market is expected to more than double in value to US$27 billion by 2015. This new management report provides a complete examination of the RA market and its prospects in the medium term.

Prevalence and incidence – where in the world?

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common chronic inflammatory joint disease. The incidence of RA among white populations is approximately 3 people per 10,000 or 0.03 per cent per annum worldwide, although this can vary markedly between different regions. RA is rare in rural and less developed parts of the world; indeed, one large study in Nigeria failed to find a single case of RA. It is also known to be rare in China and Indonesia, and the incidence is very low in Japan, suggesting urbanised and westernised lifestyles may have a key role in the onset of the disease.

RA is relatively uncommon in patients aged less than 15 years, with incidence increasing up to the age of 70 years before tailing off. The commonest age of onset is between 40 and 50 years of age. Overall, the prevalence in North America and the European Union is expected to increase until at least 2010, due to the aging population. At the same time, prevalence in rural countries is expected to continue to increase.

A rising market

We estimate the global rheumatoid arthritis market was worth approximately US$11.6 billion in 2007, accounting for 1.7 per cent of global pharmaceutical sales (which were US$691.2 billion in 2007). Global sales include the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as methotrexate, (MTX), and the biologic therapies. The biologics account for the greatest proportion of sales, although the majority of patients are still treated with the traditional DMARDs.

By 2015, we expect the global RA market to generate sales of around US$27 billion due to the growth in sales of existing and new biologic therapies, which will remain as the main growth drivers. The new oral therapies will begin to make a further impact on market growth from 2011. The uptake of these more effective newer agents will lead to a decline in sales of established treatments to 2015.

Price pressure and safety: blocks to growth?

Against these possibilities for future market growth, there looms the spectre of the financial strain placed on healthcare systems by the prescription of highly-priced biologics, which may limit their use. In the treatment of RA, the cost of the new biologics is considerably higher than the cost of the traditional treatments. In addition, unexpected safety issues may impact market growth of the RA market as a whole. For instance, the withdrawal of Merck & Co's Vioxx and Pfizer's Bextra has seen a slowdown in the uptake of Cox-2 inhibitors in the treatment of the signs and symptoms of RA.

Questions answered

-Who will be the leading players in the RA market in 2015 and what products and approaches will be influential?

-What advantages will the new generation of biopharmaceuticals have over existing treatments?

-How extensive is Pfizer’s development portfolio in RA?

-How important will combination therapy be in the RA sector?

-Enbrel, Remicade and Humira – who will win the battle for sales, and why?

Report Summary

Over 200 pages of product analysis, forecasts and data.

Providing…

Detailed assessment and 5-year forecasts for current leading products by value

A detailed review and assessment of up and coming products

Unique product assessment and scoring

Major approaches

Adenosine receptor antagonist

B-cell targeted therapy

Cathepsin-S inhibitors

Chemokine receptor antagonists

DHODH inhibitors

Glucocorticoids

Interleukin inhibitors

Kinase inhibitors

Lymphotoxin beta and light pathway inhibitor

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

RANK ligand inhibitor

T-cell co-stimulation modulator

TNF inhibitors

Traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs

The rheumatoid arthritis sector is set for substantial growth. With significant unmet clinical need and the progressive introduction of higher value and effective biopharmaceuticals, the market is expected to more than double in value to US$27 billion by 2015.

The value of the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) market currently stands at approximately US$11.6 billion and is continuing to grow, driven mainly by the biologic DMARDs. It is dominated by five major pharma companies: Abbott, Amgen, Johnson & Johnson, Schering-Plough and Wyeth, which between them market three of the most successful biologics, the tumour necrosis factor inhibitors Enbrel (etanercept), Remicade (infliximab) and Humira (adalimumab).

Research into new treatments is intense, driven by the need for safer and even more effective medications with more convenient dosing schedules. GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Schering-Plough and UCB all have biologics in the late phases of development, while Pfizer is pinning its hopes on its oral kinase inhibitors, which are currently in Phase II development. As these new therapies come on board and the market becomes more competitive, the prospects for RA patients can only improve.

This report provides a complete assessment of the market’s potential. This new management report provides a complete examination of the RA market and its prospects in the medium term. Packed with analysis and forecasts, anyone needing to understand the drivers of this fast growing sector need look no further.

Despite falling prevalence levels in the future in developed markets, there still remains significant unmet need, with many patients both undiagnosed and untreated.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c87503

Source: Espicom