Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the neuropathic pain drug market -- driven by the launches of several novel therapies -- will increase from $6 billion in 2008 to $9.7 billion in 2018 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.
The new Pharmacor report entitled Neuropathic Pain finds that, among the novel therapies that will launch in the next several years, NeurogesX/Astellas' Qutenza will be the most successful. Owing to its long-term efficacy for localized peripheral neuropathic pain and minimal risk of systemic side-effects, Qutenza will garner sales of nearly $700 million in 2018. The market will also be driven by the launches and uptake of Pfizer's tanezumab, Johnson & Johnson/Grunenthal's Nucynta ER, UCB's Vimpat and Durect/King Pharmaceuticals' Eladur.
"Although none of the emerging therapies will displace key first-line therapies, many will offer new mechanisms of action and improved side-effect profiles when compared to currently-marketed agents," said Decision Resources Analyst Sami Fam, Ph.D. "In a market where first-line therapies fail in nearly 50 percent of patients, these novel emerging therapies for neuropathic pain will find success as alternatives to established agents."
The report also finds that the increased uptake of branded therapies such as Pfizer's Lyrica, Eli Lilly/Boehringer Ingelheim's Cymbalta/Xeristar and the 5 percent lidocaine patch (Endo/Elan's Lidoderm and Grunenthal's Versatis) will also drive market growth. The availability of these agents in new markets, combined with the therapeutic advantages that they offer over older and generically-available competitors, will drive their increased use as first-line therapies.
According to the report, the largest segments of the neuropathic pain market in 2008 were neuropathic back pain (46 percent), painful diabetic neuropathy (12 percent), post-trauma postsurgical neuropathic pain (12 percent) and neuropathic cancer pain (10 percent).
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