Uptake of Branded Agents Will Drive the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Drug Market to Quadruple to $1.4 Billi...( Entry of Novel Therapies Including Ri...),Health

Entry of Novel Therapies Including Rituxan/MabThera and Increased Uptake of CellCept Will Provide Effective Treatment Options, According to a New

Report from Decision Resources

WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the entry and uptake of high-priced branded agents will drive the systemic lupus erythematosus drug market to quadruple from approximately $325 million in 2006 to $1.4 billion in 2016.

The new Pharmacor report entitled Systemic Lupus Erythematosus finds that the strongest drivers of market growth will be the formal approval of several therapies that target B cells, including Biogen Idec/Genentech/Zenyaku Kogyo's Rituxan/Roche's MabThera, as well as increased uptake of Roche/Aspreva Pharmaceuticals' branded immunosuppressant CellCept.

"The introduction of novel biologics, other targeted therapies, and immunosuppressants into the treatment regimens of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus will result in increased polypharmacy," said Amy Whiting, Ph.D., analyst at Decision Resources. "These agents will not replace existing therapies but rather be used in combination with existing drugs to provide more-effective and/or safer treatment."

The report finds that sales in the systemic lupus erythematosus drug market will experience a significant 24% annual increase between 2006 and 2011. Sales growth will then proceed at a slower pace of 9% annually from 2011 to 2016, owing to fewer new product launches, generic erosion of CellCept, and biogeneric erosion of Rituxan/MabThera.

About Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease characterized by a complex pathophysiology that results in widespread tissue damage of multiple organ systems. The disease affects more than 537,000 people in the United States, France, Germany, Italy
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