Antisense Products: Technologies, Markets

Report Highlights

• The potential market for antisense therapeutics in 2007 is estimated to be more than $3.15 billion.
• This is about 3.1% of the combined total market for all applications of antisense therapeutics.
• By 2007, the treatment of immunological disorders will be valued at more than $1.7 billion.
• In five years, the treatment of cancer will be valued at $760 million, infectious disease at $310 million, and all other applications in excess of $330 million.

INTRODUCTION

The use of antisense compounds as therapeutics is beginning to gain momentum. After several years of developing the technologies needed to succeed, antisense therapeutics are gaining a reputation as therapeutics with excellent safety profiles that are well tolerated by patients and easy to administer. This was shown in 1998 when the first antisense therapeutic, Vitravene, was approved for treating CMV retinitis. Vitravene gave creditability to all antisense therapeutics and launched them into the competitive world of therapeutics development.

There now are a wide variety of applications in which the antisense therapeutics being developed include cancer, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, immunological disorders, infectious diseases, polycystic kidney disease, and retinal disorders. Currently, 42 antisense therapeutics are in development. All but one are either in the preclinical or clinical development stages.

This report provides an overview of the gene expression process and how antisense compounds can be used to control gene expression. Included is summary of the technological advances made in antisense compounds and how each impacts antisense therapeutics. The applications of antisense therapeutics and strategies used by each company to meet the needs of the application are examined, with market estimates projected through 2007. This analysis will be invaluable, therefore, to decision makers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

SCOPE OF STUDY

This report includes:

• Antisense technologies review
• Discussion of antisense therapeutic applications: cancer, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, immunological disorders, infectious diseases, polycystic kidney disease and retinal disorders
• Analysis of the markets for antisense therapeutic applications
• Profiles of 18 companies and their antisense therapeutic products
• Antisense industry structure.

METHODOLOGY USED IN STUDY

This report forecasts the potential markets for antisense therapeutics. The data used in these forecasts were obtained from members of the antisense therapeutic industry, research institutes, foundations, governmental and international organizations, scientific literature, as well as from annual reports and other publications from antisense companies and other pharmaceutical companies.

ANALYST CREDENTIALS

Patricia Lingenfelter has a Master of Science in Finance from Seattle University and a B.S. in biochemistry from Western Washington University. She has over 13 years of scientific work experience in both academic and commercial research settings. Most recently, she has combined her research and training in a biotechnology development setting.