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Launch of Highly Anticipated Oral Agents and Increasing Use of Current and Emerging Injectable Drugs Will Drive the Multiple Sclerosis Drug Market to Nearly $10 Billion in 2018

Posted on: Tuesday, 26 May 2009, 08:00 CDT

Emerging Novel Oral Therapies Will Garner 29 Percent of the Total Market in 2018, According to a New Report from Decision Resources

WALTHAM, Mass., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the approval and launch of highly anticipated oral agents as well as the increasing use of current and emerging injectable drugs will drive the overall multiple sclerosis drug market to nearly $10 billion in 2018 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

The new Pharmacor report entitled Multiple Sclerosis finds that emerging novel oral therapies, most notably Merck Serono/EMD Serono's oral cladribine and Novartis/Mitsubishi Tanabe's FTY-720 (fingolimod), will garner 29 percent of the total multiple sclerosis market in 2018. Oral cladribine and FTY-720 will together capture more than $2 billion in major market sales in 2018, despite safety concerns associated with both drugs. The report also finds that three additional emerging agents - Biogen Idec's pegylated interferon-beta-1a, Genzyme/Bayer Schering/Bayer HealthCare's alemtuzumab (currently marketed as Campath/MabCampath) and BioMS Medical/Eli Lilly's dirucotide - will also contribute substantially to market growth by providing new therapeutic options to patients.

"Owing to the multitude of emerging therapies in late stage development, each of which offers particular attributes, and because combination treatment in multiple sclerosis is rare, the market will become increasingly fragmented as current and emerging therapies vie for niche patient populations," said Decision Resources Analyst Bethany Kiernan, Ph.D. "Nevertheless, the need for efficacious, safe and/or convenient therapies will permit all agents--including those that show robust efficacy but bear serious safety risks--to fulfill crucial needs among patients, depending on the individual course of their disease."

The report also finds that, despite the improvements offered by emerging drugs, neurologists indicate that substantial unmet need remains for neuroprotective agents and for therapies that halt or reverse disease progression. Additionally, because many of the advantages offered by current and emerging agents are offset by significant drawbacks, opportunity remains for the development of therapies that possess a better balance of efficacy, safety and convenience.

About Decision Resources

Decision Resources (www.decisionresources.com) is a world leader in market research publications, advisory services and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources and master their chosen markets. Decision Resources is a Decision Resources, Inc. company.

About Decision Resources, Inc.

Decision Resources, Inc. is a cohesive portfolio of companies that offers best-in-class, high-value information and insights on important sectors of the healthcare industry. Clients rely on this analysis and data to make informed decisions. Please visit Decision Resources, Inc. at www.DecisionResourcesInc.com.

All company, brand, or product names contained in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information, contact: Decision Resources Decision Resources, Inc. Christopher Comfort Elizabeth Marshall 781-296-2597 781-296-2563 ccomfort@dresources.com emarshall@dresources.com

SOURCE Decision Resources

Source: PR Newswire

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