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Increasing
diagnosis and treatment rates
UI
therapy market turns lucrative
Waltham,
Mass.
 Urinary
incontinence (UI) is the subject of a new study from Decision Resources,
Inc., that examines the significant market opportunities associated
with this condition.
More than 145 million people experienced some form of involuntary
urine loss in the seven major pharmaceutical markets (US, France,
Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and Japan) in 2000. Of this group, more
than 72 million people can be classified as having significant UI.
Of this potentially treatable population, only about 20 per cent
of patients are diagnosed, and even fewer receive pharmacological
therapies for their condition.
Thus, UI offers a ripe opportunity for current and emerging therapies.
Two major players in the UI marketplace, Pharmacia and Alza, have
initiated direct-to-consumer advertising campaigns to bolster their
stakes in the growing market for UI products. These efforts will
alert patients and physicians to the availability of improved therapies
and increase the number of patients seeking medical treatment.
Tolterodine (Pharmacia’s Detrol), recently launched in all
major markets except Japan (where it is in phase II development),
and extended-release oxybutynin (Alza’s Ditropan XL) in the
US and the UK, represent the first major pharmacological breakthroughs
in UI in two decades and have enlivened commercial interest in the
UI market-especially the market for overactive bladder therapies.
The increasing R&D efforts inspired by these agents should drive
impressive growth for this indication within our 2000-2010 forecast
period. The market for agents to treat UI totalled $722 million
in 2000. During the study period, factors influencing pharmaceutical
sales will include:
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Increases in the percentage of patients who are diagnosed and
drug- treated, better patient compliance
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The emergence of a broader choice of drug therapies.
In particular, promising therapies could include Pfizer’s darifenacin,
an M3-specific muscarinic antagonist in phase III development; resiniferatoxin
(Afferon’s RTX) a neuronal desensitising agent; and (AstraZeneca’s
ZD- 0947), a potassium-channel opener. The launch of these new drugs
could significantly boost the market for UI therapies, allowing
it to reach nearly $2 billion by 2010.
UI offers invaluable market intelligence for pharmaceutical companies
developing drugs to treat this indication. This study is part of
Mosaic, one of six Pharmacor services available from Decision Resources
that evaluate the commercial potential of drugs in research and
development. Decision Resources, Inc., is a world leader in research
publications, advisory services, and consulting designed to help
clients shape strategy, allocate resources, and master their chosen
markets.
PRNewswire
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