Market Report Forecasts Seven New Lupus Therapies by 2022

Patients who suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or lupus nephritis (LN) may have seven new therapeutic options by 2022, according to a new report on the global drug market. The forecast published by the company Research and Markets analyzed the lupus treatment market over the past few decades, revealing slight improvements, as well as the new boost in research that may accelerate the market in the near future.

The report entitled “PharmaPoint: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Lupus Nephritis – Global Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2022 – Event-Driven Update” pictures a steady market in which only one new drug was granted marketing approval over the past 50 years. However, the recent high activity in lupus R&D resulted in seven promising studies that are expected to successfully develop new biological treatments for lupus up through 2022.

Currently the market for the treatment of lupus is based mainly on generic therapies, while Benlysta, a drug developed by GlaxoSmithKline was the only new treatment to enter the market since 1965, which altered its steadiness. Despite the low but growing uptake of the drug, its high price caused an increase in market value. Benlysta has become the top-selling medication in the market, which worth the company about $265.6 million last year in the seven major markets.

Although there was little activity in the new drug department, the increased activity of R&D registered recently suggests that new biologic drugs may be launched during the next decade, which can alter the competitive configuration of the market, as well as lead to increased value of SLE and LN’s markets. The main projects being developed include partnerships and acquisitions, as well as the development of me-too and first-in-class therapies and medical products.

The forecast specifically focused on the work being conducted by the companies Roche, UCB, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Anthera, ImmuPharma, Merck Serono, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline. There is a significant unmet medical need in the market of lupus treatment, particularly in the field of effective treatments with positive safety profile able to increase clinical benefits.

The new market configuration predicted at the Research and Markets forecast for the 2012-2022 period is expected to lead to the improvement of lupus patients’ quality of life, as well as decrease lupus prevalence.