Decision Resources forecasts multiple myeloma drug market to more than double from $2.1B in 2008 to $5.3B in 2018

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the multiple myeloma drug market will more than double from $2.1 billion in 2008 to $5.3 billion in 2018 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

The Pharmacor 2010 findings from the topic entitled Multiple Myeloma reveal that market growth will be driven by increased use of Celgene's Revlimid in the first-line setting and the launches of several premium-priced emerging therapies, most notably Celgene's pomalidomide and Onyx Pharmaceuticals' carfilzomib. Currently, the multiple myeloma market is dominated by Revlimid, Millennium Pharmaceuticals/Janssen-Cilag/Janssen's Velcade and Celgene/Fujimoto Seiyaku's Thalomid/Thaled.

"Carfilzomib and pomalidomide are the most promising emerging therapies in development, owing to their efficacy and tolerability," said Decision Resources Analyst Andrew Merron, Ph.D. "Carfilzomib and pomalidomide will compete with Velcade and Revlimid, respectively, although they will struggle to attain the same market share as these well-established agents."

The Pharmacor 2010 findings also reveal that, as the multiple myeloma market is becoming increasingly saturated with effective treatments, drug opportunities lie in the development of agents that improve survival and reduce toxicities compared with currently available therapies.

Through 2018, the launch of six emerging therapies will partially fulfill these unmet needs in treating multiple myeloma. In addition to pomalidomide and carfilzomib, the other emerging therapies that are forecast to launch through 2018 are Keryx Biopharmaceuticals/AEterna Zentaris's perifosine, Merck's Zolinza, Novartis's panobinostat and bendamustine (Cephalon's Treanda, Mundipharma's Ribomustin).

SOURCE Decision Resources