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88% Of GPs in the UK Prefer Physical Exercise or Diet As the Treatment for Metabolic Syndrome

Posted on: Wednesday, 15 March 2006, 15:00 CST

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c32022) has announced the addition of Barriers to Effective Management of Metabolic Syndrome to their offering.

Business Implications

-- Sedentary lifestyles and a steady increase in obesity have contributed to rapid growth in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in many developed nations.We estimate that, in 2003, almost 123 million people had metabolic syndrome in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Japan. This population is projected to grow to 137 million in 2013. We forecast that the market for metabolic syndrome therapies will increase from $9.7 billion in 2003 to $12.8 billion in 2013. The market has enormous untapped potential, especially in Europe, but several major barriers (e.g., a lack of consensus on the definition of the disease, underdiagnosis, poor management, difficulties in the licensing of new therapies, reimbursement restrictions) have constrained growth.

-- General practitioners (GPs) in Europe favor the use of lifestyle modifications in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. One survey found that 88% of GPs in the United Kingdom and 69% in France identified physical exercise or diet as a preferred treatment for this disorder. More than 70% of GPs in the United Kingdom also favored treatment of cholesterol or triglycerides, hypertension, overweight, or all factors, and 60% favored the use of oral antidiabetics in the management of metabolic syndrome. French GPs were markedly less inclined to use these therapeutic options. Moreover, GPs in the United Kingdom described an average of 4.7 of these options as preferred courses of action, compared with an average of just 2.0 for French GPs.

-- Physicians in the United States identify controlling hypertension and elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol as top clinical priorities owing to the well-characterized cardiovascular risk associated with these abnormalities and the availability of effective agents that can regulate them. Common first-line therapy includes oral antidiabetic agents, antihypertensive agents, and statins to control each of these components. Physicians attach less importance to elevated triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and obesity, likely because the connection between these disorders and elevated cardiovascular risk is less clear and because therapeutic options are limited.

-- Achieving a consensus definition of metabolic syndrome would increase detection rates, stimulate the development of drugs targeted at metabolic syndrome, and improve the reimbursement climate for drugs prescribed for this indication. Recent convergence in definitions suggests that a consensus may be within reach, but two very influential associations have challenged the validity of the concept of metabolic syndrome. If other organizations support this view, and the medical profession responds to such advice, the concept of metabolic syndrome as a distinct disease could fall out of favor.

-- Some of the most widely prescribed drugs for constituents of the metabolic syndrome (e.g., metformin, glibenclamide, simvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, ramipril, amlodipine) are off-patent in Europe, and many other agents will lose patent protection in the next five to ten years. As a result, the European market for metabolic syndrome therapies is becoming increasingly genericized. With one or more oral antidiabetics, statins, and antihypertensives available in generic form in most of Europe, physicians can manag most of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome without prescribing branded medicines.

We forecast that the market for metabolic syndrome therapies will increase from $9.7 billion in 2003 to $12.8 billion in 2013. This market has enormous untapped potential, especially in Europe, but several major barriers (e.g., a lack of consensus on the definition of the disease, underdiagnosis, poor management, difficulties in the licensing of new therapies, reimbursement restrictions) have constrained growth.

In this Decision Resources report, we consider the problems resulting from the lack of a consensus definition of metabolic syndrome. We then examine how limited knowledge and inadequate screening have contributed to underdiagnosis of the disease. We review therapeutic options and assess the reimbursement environment for metabolic syndrome therapeutics. Further, we analyze the challenges that face drugs in development for this disorder and the consequences of a renewed debate over the validity of metabolic syndrome as a distinct disease. We conclude with an assessment of the outlook and implications for the pharmaceutical industry.

Topics Covered

-- Overview

-- Lack of Consensus on Disease Definition

-- Underdiagnosis

-- Therapeutic Options

-- Reimbursement Environment

-- Drugs in Development

-- Validity of Metabolic Syndrome As a Distinct Disease

-- Outlook and Implications for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Companies mentioned in this report include:

-- GlaxoSmithKline

-- Takeda

-- Abbott

-- Roche

-- Sanofi-Aventis

-- Eli-Lilly

-- Amylin

-- Merck

-- Schering-Plough

-- Pfizer

-- Kos

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c32022

Source: Business Wire

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