Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitors Will Experience Increasing Use in Diabetic Retinopathy Patients Who Also Have Diabetic Macular Edema, According to Findings from Decision Resources

December 19, 2011—Burlington, Mass.—Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the drug markets for diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy will increase over the next ten years, with the diabetic retinopathy market set to experience the greatest growth, expanding nearly eight times in size to $700 million by 2020 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

The Pharmacor report entitled Diabetic Complications, which will be published by the end of the month, finds that the launch of several novel agents specifically indicated for diabetic macular edema (a subset of diabetic retinopathy), as well as the label expansion of currently available agents that have historically been used off-label, will be the main drivers of market growth. Additionally, although laser photocoagulation therapy will remain the dominant treatment for proliferative retinopathy, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors will experience increasing use in diabetic retinopathy patients who also have diabetic macular edema. Increased use of both current and emerging agents in this drug class to treat diabetic macular edema will account for the majority of diabetic retinopathy market growth through 2020.

“The approval of Roche/Novartis’s VEGF inhibitor Lucentis for diabetic macular edema in Europe in 2011 has resulted in increased use of this agent there,” said Decision Resources Analyst Matthew Scutcher, Ph.D. “The uptake of Lucentis in Europe is due to its improved reimbursement status, with the exception of the United Kingdom where regulators declined to make the drug available under the National Health Service. VEGF inhibitors in development are generally first approved for other ocular indications but will need to gain approval for diabetic macular edema in order to compete successfully with Lucentis in this market.”

The findings also reveal that high unmet need exists in the diabetic neuropathy market for drugs with disease-modifying potential. Treatment of diabetic neuropathy is currently dominated by agents such as Pfizer’s Lyrica and Eli Lilly’s Cymbalta, which alleviate the pain symptoms associated with this condition but do not affect the underlying disease. The launches of novel therapies with the potential to fulfill this need, like Eisai’s ranirestat, are forecasted to nearly double the diabetic neuropathy market from approximately $950 million in 2010 to nearly $1.8 billion in 2020.

Decision Resources also finds that the loss of patent protection of the angiotensin II receptor antagonists (AIIRAs) in the next few years will lead to a reduction in the size of the diabetic nephropathy market from 2012 to 2014. However, after 2014, the launch of new agents for this indication, such as Abbott/Reata’s first-in-class antioxidant therapy bardoxolone, as well as the increased use of Novartis’s Tekturna/Rasilez following anticipated positive outcomes data will drive market growth from 2015 to 2020.

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 Group company.
 

About Decision Resources Group
Decision Resources Group 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 Group at www.DecisionResourcesGroup.com.

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