Global Atopic Dermatitis Market to Grow Slightly by 2022, Fueled by New Product Launches

Tuesday 25 February 2014, Amsterdam

The atopic dermatitis therapeutic sales in the nine major markets (9MM) — the US, France Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Japan, China and India — are forecast to increase from $3.9 billion in 2012 to $5.6 billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.8%.

According to the company’s latest report, the anticipated launch of new drugs by Sanofi/Regeneron and Anacor in the mid-term of the forecast period will bring a major boost to the market. Japan will also play a key role in driving global sales, while emerging markets India and China will experience rapid uptake of topical calcineurin inhibitors.

Tina Healy, the Director for Immunology, says: “Although both companies are expected to enter the atopic dermatitis space in 2016, Sanofi/Regeneron displays the greatest commercial prospects, as its pipeline candidate, dupilumab, is touted as a potential breakthrough therapy for moderate to severe disease. This stems from its potential to either compete with or displace gold-standard systemic agent cyclosporine. This in turn could address the high unmet need for an effective systemic drug for severe refractory disease.”

However, even though dupilumab is set to gain a foothold in the atopic dermatitis market by the late-forecast, it will not completely eradicate the high unmet need within the severe, recalcitrant group.  

“The severe patient segment remains underserved as physicians have few to no pharmacological options following treatment failure with, or intolerability to, cyclosporine. As a result, physicians often resort to prescribing off-label therapies for these patients,” Healy says.

With an estimated drug-treated population that hovers around the 54 million mark over the next decade, opportunities will remain in this chronic dermatology disease for other drug developers with novel systemic therapies.