Osteoporosis Market Predicted To Grow To $11.4B By 2015
The global market for osteoporosis drugs is expected to increase from $7.3 billion in 2010 to $11.4 billion by 2015, according to new estimates.
The market will achieve an average annual growth of 9.2% during this period, according to the report published by Transparency Market Research. The study also expects the Chinese market for osteoporosis treatments to increase by a yearly average of 13.5% from 2010 to 2015, obtaining a total value of $2.5 billion by the end of 2015.
Presently, the global osteoporosis drugs market is dominated by the bisphosphonate class, with Novartis’ Aclasta/Zometa (zoledronate) and Roche’s Bonviva/Boniva (ibandronic acid) accounting for healthy market shares and showing average sales growth rates of roughly 20% over the past two years, according to the report.
Amgen’s Prolia (denosumab) is the latest player to the osteoporosis treatment market, after receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Commission, and is expected to compete directly with the bisphosphonate products, although its preliminary uptake is likely to be in second-line therapy, generally in patients who are intolerant to these treatments, observes the report.
However, after this year, growth in the drug’s use is expected to lead to a drop in the market for parathyroid hormone and selective oestrogen receptor modulator (SERM) drugs used in the treatment of osteoporosis, it notes, and points out that there is also considerable potential for Prolia in the treatment of bone loss in cancer patients. Sales of the drug are predicted to reach $3.5 billion in 2015.
Drugmakers have a variety of promising osteoporosis treatment candidates in R&D, including a number of first-in-class products presently in Phase III trials. These include Merck & Co’s cathepsin K (cat-K) inhibitor odanacatib, which offers a novel mechanism of action against osteoporosis, and Pfizer’s Aprela, which combines the SERM bazedoxifene with conjugated equine oestrogens.
The expected fast market increase in China will principally be as a result of the increasing prevalence of osteoporosis among the female population, as well as the growing elderly population, rising standards of living and increasing awareness of, and education in, bone health. Therefore, the report sees vast growth potential for osteoporosis drug treatments in many Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou.
Drug developers are able to obtain market advantages by developing cost-competitive drugs with simple dosage patterns which successfully promote bone-building, as a lot of patients find it difficult to conform to the strict dosage schedules of traditional drug treatments, the report advises. They should also aim to address unmet requirements in the market by developing treatments that combine convenient dosing schedules with efficacy and safety profiles which represent improvements over currently-available products, it adds.
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