The Market for Antifungal Drugs

Report Highlights

• The market for antifungal drugs is estimated at $5.9 billion in 2002, including both prescription and OTC products.
• Overall, the market is projected to rise at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 7.9% through 2007 to $8.7 billion.
• There are about 30 branded prescription systemic and topical antifungal agents on the market and several dozen over-the-counter branded and generic topical antifungal products.
• Products from several entirely new categories of compounds will be introduced during the forecast period.
• More than a dozen new prescription products are in clinical development and will contribute to the growth in this market.

INTRODUCTION

This report provides an in-depth look at the prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) markets for systemic and topical antifungal drugs. This report focuses on currently available systemic and topical antifungal drugs, as well as novel drugs in development. The dramatic increase in the incidence of fungal infections as well as the problem of drug resistance, and its effect on drug usage are explored. Analysis of products and companies participating in and changing this market is provided, and revenue forecasts are provided through 2007. Forecasts of the current prescription and OTC antifungals market are provided. Forecasts and trends are gleaned from industry sources as well as from considered assessment of emerging products and technologies.

REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY

The market for antifungal agents is a steadily growing sector driven largely by an expanding population of immunocompromised patients and the rollout of novel products. The loss of patent protection for the top-selling antifungal agent Diflucan (Pfizer) will mix up the market and allow for the likely emergence of newly introduced products, such as Cancidas (Merck) and Vfend (Pfizer), as market leaders. The appearance of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the increasing number of patients treated with cancer chemotherapy drugs in the past few decades have created an ever-expanding number of immunocompromised individuals who are at risk for opportunistic infections. As a result, opportunistic infections are at the forefront of important and often life-threatening diseases. In addition, an increasing percentage of fungi are developing resistance to available treatments. There exists a need for safer and more effective drugs to treat serious systemic fungal infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals, and to develop drugs that address drug-resistant organisms. New classes of of antifungal agents are being developed with the first of the products in these new classes introduced in 2001. This report provides an overview of recently introduced and in-development products and their potential impact on the antifungals market. Also discussed are prescription antifungal agents switched from Rx to OTC status and their effect on treatment of diseases and the healthcare system.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE STUDY AND FOR WHOM

This report provides an analysis of the prescription market for systemic and topical antifungals, as well as the OTC market for topical antifungal agents. The report information needed to understand the impact of new products on clinical use and the marketplace. This report is an invaluable tool for planners, acquisitions specialists, licensing strategists, product managers, market research analysts, investor consultants, and anyone interested in the current and emerging antifungals market, its products, its industry participants, and its future.

SCOPE AND FORMAT

This report focuses on marketed and in-development products to treat fungal diseases. The Overview chapter provides a comprehensive summary of the most clinically significant fungal diseases in humans, their incidence, pathology, and treatment, as well as a discussion of those diseases and organisms for which drug resistance is a problem. Also discussed are the categories of available and emerging antifungal agents and their mechanism of action.

The Products chapter provides detailed discussion of leading antifungal agents and agents in development, how they differ from older products and their potential impact on treatment and the market.

The Applications chapter provides an overview of specific fungal diseases, the agents used to treat them and the markets for these applications.

The Industry chapter provides a breakdown of the worldwide market for antifungal drugs, as well as market share information about leading companies in this sector.

The Company Profiles chapter provides a close look at companies currently participating in the antifungals market and those with products in development.

Trends are assessed based on projected sales for new products and must necessarily be estimates, since the timing of introduction and cost of these agents is not certain.

Included in this report are sales for the year 2001 by antifungal drug class and forecasts from 2002 through 2007, including supporting analyses for projections.

METHODOLOGY

The base year for this study is 2002. Market figures are based on revenues at the manufacturers' level and are projected at 2002 dollar value (i.e., inflation is not computed into the projection figures).

Information to prepare this study was derived from information obtained from product managers, marketing strategists, and research executives. In addition, information also was obtained from others at leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that compete in the market for prescription and OTC antifungal drugs or have products in development for this market.

INFORMATION SOURCES

The information and analysis presented in this report are based on an extensive survey of the pharmaceutical industry as well as a detailed examination of published literature and reports obtained from regulatory authorities, medical research institutions, pharmaceutical trade associations, and national and world health organizations. Key information from the literature was used as to obtain expert opinion on commercial potential and market sizes from industry professionals.

AUTHOR'S CREDENTIALS

Lynn Gray has been a research analyst since 1989 and with BCC since 1996. During that time, she has authored numerous reports in the biomedical field, 18 for BCC alone. BA, University of California, Riverside, 1973.