Pharmacy

Over 300 million people suffer from asthma worldwide. The global drug market is estimated to be over $15 billion. While drugs to manage asthma have existed for several decades, pharmaceutical companies have developed faster acting and more effective products over the years. Here is a prediction of the business of drugs used for this respiratory condition until the year 2017.

According to  reports  of Global Data,   the   global asthma market valued at S 12.4 billion in 20U9 is expected to grow with a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of approximately 1.5 per cent to S14 billion by 2017. Although the respiratory market has expanded considerably from 2004 to 2009, growth in the seven major markets is expected to slow down from 2010 to 2012.The decline in sales during this period would be due to patent expiries of leading brands. Growth is driven by the expansion of sales in existing classes, the launch of major new products with safety and convenience advantages like route of administration, once- daily administration, combinational therapies, etc.

Strong competition

The current competition in the asthma market is becoming intense due to the increased entry of combination    therapies,    inhaled corticosteroids and   beta-agonists.

 According to projections Symbicort. Advair artd Singulair will be the leading competitors of the global asthma   market.   GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Merck wilt continue to be the market leaders until the patents on their drugs expire in between 2010-2012. Xolair is the only biologic available for the treatment of asthma.

The asthma market is expected to witness a marginal decline in sales due to patent expiries of major blockbuster drugs like Advair, Singulair and Symbicort.

Late stage pipeline

There are over 229 molecules in various stages of the pipeline. Flutiform, MFF2 58   (Mo m etason e- Formote roll Roflumilast and VR315 are some of the late stage pipeline molecules. GSK159797/642444 (Beyond Advair), QMF149, Ogleimlast and SB-2405637 are some of the promising therapies in the phase II stage of the pipeline. These pipeline molecules differ in their larget of action from existing therapies. In addition to nest-in-class molecules, the pipeline has new technology like Potelligent and Morphodoma, which make it strong. The late stage pipeline is strong, phase II and phase I has innovations so it is expected that the asthma market will grow in the near future. A tremendous increase in the prescription of combination products is expected due to increased awareness and ease of administration of these products. The future of asthma market is denned by the product lifecycle management in terms of new combinations, new delivery options and combinations.

Unmet needs with regard to safety and efficacy of the present marketed products

Though there are several conventional therapies for the treatment of asthma like oral corticosteroids, long acting beta2 is agonists, combination therapies and biologics, combination therapies have gained importance in recent times. They offer substantial efficacy combined with durable response and convenient dosing    frequency. Combination therapies rule the market and are preferred first-line: therapy for asthma. Asthma drugs do not completely cure the disease; they offer symptomatic treatments and are associated with safety concerns. Thus, the unmet needs within asthma therapeutics exist in terms of efficacy and safety. Any new treatment in the pipeline targeting safety and efficacy with pricing as another prime factor is likely to attain blockbuster drug status.

Current treatment options

The available treatment options have been moderately successful in meeting the market demand. Current therapeutics compete to provide a rapid decrease in asthma attacks, increase Forced     Expiratory Volume (FEV), decrease awakening during night, reduce usage of rescue medications      and provide for better quality of life. Overall, there is strong competition among the current marketed products for symptomatic treatment of the disease.

Though asthma treatments are only symptomatic, they treat patients effectively. As a result, the market for asthma is strong. However, safety remains a concern as asthma drugs are associated with serious adverse effects. There is strong market potential for any new entrant who will cater to these unmet needs. A product with disease- modifying mechanisms providing a better safety profile and good efficacy is sure to achieve blockbuster drug status and can target the existing unmet needs. Thus, a strong opportunity exists for any drug that offers better efficacy and safety than is provided by the current players.