Abstract
Espicom' s best-selling CNS Drug Discoveries: what the future holds provides a
comprehensive examination of 5 major CNS therapy areas: multiple sclerosis,
Alzheimer' s disease, Parkinson' s disease, schizophrenia and depression. The
information below and the ordering information on this page relate to the
Alzheimer' s disease chapter. To find out more about the full report, click
here.
Alzheimer' s disease
- By 2014, there will be considerable change in the Alzheimer' s disease (AD)
market due to generic competition, better utilisation of acetylcholinesterase
inhibitors and new product launches which, for the first time, will treat the
condition and not the symptoms.
AD affects approximately 19 million people worldwide, with a prevalence of
approximately 1 per cent in the total population, although the risk of being
afflicted with AD increases with age.
In 2007, approximately US$5.5 billion was spent on the symptomatic treatment
of AD. The vast majority of this revenue was generated by just four drugs
within two main classes, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists. However, since all four
brands face patent expiration within the next four to five years, this will
have a considerable impact on the revenues of the companies involved.
Since all currently-available treatments are symptomatic treatments, aimed at
alleviating the symptoms of the disease and trying to slow the deterioration
of the patients, there is a significant unmet need for improved drugs that can
modify the underlying course of the disease.
There is considerable research being undertaken in this area, although there
have been many casualties including Bellus Health' s Alzhemed (tramiprosate),
Axonyx' phenserine and sanofi-aventis' xaliproden (all discontinued from Phase
III trials), and most recently, the lack of efficacy demonstrated by Myriad
Genetics/Lundbeck' s Flurizan (tarenflurbil). The current front runner is
Wyeth/Elan' s bapineuzumab, although this too is facing challenges in
development. It may be some time before the first disease-modifying agents
emerge which could revolutionise the way AD is treated.
Key AD questions answered include:
- By what % will the number of AD patients being treated in developed
markets increase annually?
- How are approvals for new indications affecting the sales potential of
Eisai/Pfizer' s Aricept?
- What are the characteristics and prospects for Wyeth/Elan' s bapineuzumab?
- What competition could arise for Forest/Lundbeck' s Namenda/Ebixa?
Key products analysed and forecast
- Aricept - Pfizer/Eisai
- Bapineuzumab - Elan/Wyeth
- Ebixa/Namenda - Lundbeck/Forest Laboratories
- Exelon - Novartis
- Razadyne - Johnson & Johnson/Shire
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