Diabetes, Growth Disorders Drive Sales of Pediatric Hor...( NEW YORK Feb. 6 /- Prescription p...),Health

NEW YORK, Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Prescription pediatric drugs represent an enormous market, with manufacturer sales totaling $36.9 billion in 2006. Though overall annual growth is forecast at a modest 3.2%, reaching $43 billion by 2011, the hormone drug segment, with a market share of 11.7%, is expected to achieve the highest growth rate of 8.3% during the same time period, according to Kalorama Information's new report The World Market for Pediatric Drugs.

The high growth rate of the prescription hormone drug segment in the pediatric population, both domestic and worldwide, can be attributed to an increase in the incidence of diabetes, thyroid conditions, and growth disorders, as well as improved screening procedures, better products, availability, effectiveness, education and delivery techniques suitable for children. Within the hormone segment, the highest growth rates are for antidiabetic agents and growth hormone drugs, at 9.1% and 14.4% respectively from 2004 to 2006 and estimated at 5.4% and 10.8% between 2006 and 2011.

"While the focus of most healthcare watchers has been the aging of the world population, one must not forget that children number nearly 2.5 billion, or 40% of the humans on the planet," according to Bruce Carlson, publisher of Kalorama Information. "Developers are starting to see that there is a large unmet need in pediatrics, especially in the hormone category."

Kalorama Information's report The World Market for Pediatric Drugs covers anti-infectives, cancer therapies, and drugs for allergy, respiratory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, gastrointestinal and hormone treatments. Each segment details products, market estimates, forecasts through 2011 and competitive analyses of leading providers. Extensive tables of products in research and development and in-depth discussions of current and future issues and trends are also included, with additional insight from more than 100 interviews with key industry expe
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