More MS news articles for Oct 2001

Autoimmune Disorder Therapies Market to Reach $18.3 Billion by 2006

http://news.excite.com/news/pr/011003/ca-front-line

Wed, Oct 03 6:01 AM EDT

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The worldwide market for autoimmune therapies is currently $7.3 billion with treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) accounting for 48% of the total. However, as new protein based therapies for psoriasis enter the market, the total autoimmune market is expected to reach $18.3 billion by 2006. This is according to a new comprehensive report from Front Line Strategic Management Consulting, Inc. entitled Autoimmune Disorder Therapies, A Strategic Market Analysis.

Autoimmune (AI) disorders encompass a broad range of diseases that are characterized by a common pathogenic process in which the body's immune system attacks its own cells. Treatments for four of the most common autoimmune disorders; rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and psoriasis account for 75% of the AI drug trials worldwide.

An estimated 8.5 million Americans suffer from AI diseases, with over 300,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Almost 80% of AI disorders are diagnosed in women, yet the cause remains poorly understood and most AI diseases are not treated adequately with current drugs. In fact, AI diseases incur Americans $87 billion each year in total health costs.

Contributing to the higher treatment costs is the use of combination therapies and the chronic treatment. Dr. Sushil Patel, lead author on the report commented, "This trend appears to be continuing with the next generation of therapeutics, which will lead to even higher prices for overall treatment. Many immunosuppressants inhibit different components of the immune process, and therefore a cocktail of drugs may ultimately prove most beneficial."

Current treatment options for many autoimmune disorders are only moderately efficacious and burdened with significant side effects. As more products advance through clinical trials and enter the market, they will supplement or replace a number of today's treatment options.

Currently, there are drugs in development for 28 autoimmune indications worldwide. RA is the most heavily pursued indication with 73 drugs in various stages of clinical development.

Reimbursement for treatment of many autoimmune disorders is variable. Medicare only reimburses about 50% for Crohn's disease and 30-40% for rheumatoid arthritis. Self-injectible drugs, like Enbrel, are not reimbursed by Medicare, but infused drugs such as Remicade are. As newer, more expensive therapies enter the market, they will need to demonstrate a significant therapeutic advantage to gain formulary acceptance.

Front Line Strategic Management Consulting, Inc., offers strategic business intelligence through exclusive consulting engagements and essential industry reports in the life science industry. This information was collected from the company's 2001 report, Autoimmune Disorder Therapies, A Strategic Market Analysis. Executive summaries of all Front Line industry reports are available at no cost to the press. Tables of contents and sample pages are available to industry.