Genentech/Roche/Biogen Idec: Rituxan receives boost from leukemia data
Positive Phase III results have been released for first- and second-line CLL treatment with Rituxan.
Rituxan is the most successful targeted therapy drug to date, having long been established as a standard in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma treatment. Regulatory approval in chronic lymphocytic leukemia will further drive the drug’s sales potential. According to the report "Stakeholder Opinions: Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma - Is there room to emulate Rituxan’s success?" of independent market analyst Datamonitor sales growth may be hindered in some markets due to Rituxan’s existing off-label use.
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Cytotoxic therapies to feel sting of generics
Cytotoxic therapy, or chemotherapy as it is commonly known, has been the cornerstone of cancer treatment for many years and involves the use of drugs that are toxic to all cells – including those that are perfectly healthy. Whilst relatively effective, this leads to the unpleasant side effects commonly associated with cytotoxic treatment, such as vomiting, nausea, alopecia and fatigue. Despite this, and the rise in prominence of targeted therapies, cytotoxics are used in almost all cancer types and as a result of this high volume of sales, make up the second largest selling class of cancer therapeutics. However, given the relative maturity of this therapeutic class, generics companies remain keen to emulate the success of several cytotoxic brands that have attained blockbuster sales (more than $1 billion) over the years, and according to the report "Cytotoxic Therapy Cancer Brands - Looming patent expiries limit market growth" of independent market analyst Datamonitor*, generic incursion will cause a decline in total cytotoxic market value after it reaches a peak of $16.5bn** in 2013.
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Top 10 Medical Equipment Market Trends For 2009
Global Markets Direct, the business intelligence specialist’s new report entitled, “Top 10 Medical Equipment Market Trends For 2009” is an essential source of intelligence and insight on the key medical equipment market trends in the year ahead. Drawing from Global Markets Direct’s unique global databases of market value, product sales, competitor shares, key events, financial deals and pipeline products, the report identifies the key trends, expected to influence the global medical equipment market landscape in 2009.
A strong understanding of the trends will prove to be a decisive factor in strategic planning and decision making for all involved in the value chain - investors, manufacturers, distributors, regulators, payer/providers and analysts tracking this industry
Personal health records will play an important role in the exchange of health information
Personal health records will greatly simplify many of the barriers facing interoperability in healthcare
Early successes in healthcare interoperability - the electronic exchange of information between healthcare stakeholders including providers, patients and payers - are paving the way for more health information exchange (HIE) in the near to mid future. This is according to the latest report from independent market analyst Datamonitor. The report, “Building a Network of Networks to Achieve Interoperability in Healthcare,” expects that separate HIE networks, including personal health records (PHRs), will connect to form larger HIEs, much like the internet was once a series of separate networks that joined into one.
HRT - Is there an alternative for menopausal relief?
According to new research published this month in Europe’s leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal, women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopause symptoms do not have a higher than usual risk of heart attack, especially if they use a cream or skin patch(1). The observational study of over 698,098 healthy Danish women aged 51-69 represents the latest turn on the ongoing debate over the safety of HRT and suggests that large, widely publicized studies linking HRT use to cardiovascular events and breast cancer may not be the last word on treatment. As a result of the declining sales of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) in recent years caused by such safety concerns, non-hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms had an estimated revenue potential of over $535million across the US and five major EU markets (UK, US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain) in 2007, according to a new report from independent market analyst Datamonitor "Stakeholder Opinions: Non-hormonal Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms 2008". However, with current developmental drugs failing to provide a substantial reduction in symptoms, their use is expected to be limited to a minority of patients who are unable to take HRT.
Opportunity Knocks for Big Pharma in Credit Crunch
The primary consequence of the credit crunch for non-financial companies is the loss of access to cheap debt
The key impact of the credit crunch on the corporate world is the abrupt loss of cheap debt. During the late 1990s and 2000s companies across all industries have exploited easy access to cheap debt to amplify or ‘leverage’ their return to investors. However, triggered by the sub-prime crisis and the subsequent collapse of big name financial institutions, banks have no choice but to protect their own capital and stop lending – turning off this supply of cheap debt.
This leaves those companies that have taken on debt in the extremely uncomfortable position of having to either rapidly pay off their debts (‘deleveraging’) or re-secure new debt at much higher interest rates – potentially threatening the viability of the firm. Datamonitor believes that large pharmaceutical companies have wisely stayed out of the cheap debt game and as a result, the credit crunch will actually play out as a net positive for an industry much in need of good news, according to Datamonitor head of company analysis Dr. Chris Phelps. “Pharma companies are not only expected to weather the financial storm successfully but to also use this period to exploit their unique cash strength by embarking on an acquisition spree.”
Battle for HIV drug market share getting fiercer - maybe too fierce for some
The HIV market, worth $9.3 billion in 2007, is expected to grow to $15.1 billion by 2017, driven by the increasing prevalence of HIV worldwide and the longer life expectancy of patients receiving treatment. Despite this growth, the competition is getting tougher across all antiretroviral drug classes. New efficacy and side-effect data on GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) fixed-dose combination Epzicom and results from two major trials on the use of Protease Inhibitors, will significantly change the dynamics within their respective classes. The first integrase inhibitor, Merck & Co’s Isentress, launched in the autumn of 2007, is further intensifying the competition. According to a new report "Commercial Insight: HIV - The battle for market share is getting fiercer, 2008" by independent market analyst Datamonitor, competition is becoming so intense some big players in the HIV market may eventually be either squeezed, or opt out.
Monoclonal antibody sales to almost double in coming years
In 2007 total global monoclonal antibody (mAb) sales reached $26 billion and are forecast to almost double to $49 billion by 2013. While small molecule drug sales will continue to make up the majority of total market sales, the mAb market, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 11% will continue to grow at a much greater rate than their small molecule counterparts. Traditionally, the ‘big five’ mAbs – Avastin, Herceptin, Rituxan, Humira and Remicade – have dominated the market, cornering almost 80% of sales in 2007. However, in the report "Monoclonal Antibodies Report: 2008 Update" independent market analyst Datamonitor has identified an ‘emerging eight’ group of mAbs that will each achieve annual sales of at least $500 million between 2007-2013.
Is Rx-to-OTC move right prescription to protect pharma revenues & cut healthcare costs?
With the growing cost of developing novel drugs combined with the fact that from year-to-year fewer such drugs are gaining regulatory approval, the use by pharmaceutical companies of lifecycle management (LCM) techniques is playing an ever-more important role in the increasingly cost-conscious pharma industry. According to an actual report "Rx-to-OTC Strategies: Maximizing the Commercial Potential of an Rx-to-OTC Switch" says Datamonitor pharmaceutical strategy senior analyst Alistair Sinclair:"Prescription to over-the-counter (Rx-to-OTC) switching is one such strategy employed to either enhance existing franchise revenues or protect branded revenues from generic competition. An Rx-to-OTC switch involves the reclassification of a prescription product as an OTC product by the relevant national regulatory authorizations."
Is Cost Containment Impacting Pharmaceutical Innovation?
With the costs of providing healthcare spiraling, governments and payers across the seven major markets are implementing cost-cutting initiatives in an effort to combat these escalating healthcare costs, which in turn is putting even greater pressure on pharma companies. Recently the National institute of clinical excellence (NICE) in the UK reject four new kidney cancer therapies on the basis of cost effectiveness. This decision effectively denies patients access to these novel drugs, a decision that has angered healthcare professional and patients alike.
In addition to pharmaceutical companies being under pressure due to the credit crunch, ever fewer novel products are coming to market, contributing to the declining return on investment. With the cost-effectiveness of a product at the top of the agenda for payers, pharmaceutical companies need to focus upon developing truly novel drugs if they wish to achieve a premium price and strong reimbursement position. However, according to independent market analyst Datamonitor senior pharmaceutical analyst Dr. Sandra Reynolds: ”This also comes at a risk in an increasingly safety-conscious era, leaving Pharma in a difficult-to-win situation,” she says.
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