Frost & Sullivan: European Bipolar Therapeutics Market Slows Down in the Short Term As Key Blockbuster Drugs Go Off Patent

06-07-2012: Patent expiry of key blockbuster atypical antipsychotic drugs is likely to cause a decline in growth of the European bipolar disorder therapeutics market until 2013. However, approval of new drugs and improved depot formulations are expected to present growth opportunities from 2014 to 2018.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Analysis of the European Bipolar-disorder Therapeutics Market, finds that the market earned revenues of $1.20 billion in 2011 and estimates this to reach approximately $1.22 billion in 2018, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.2 per cent.

Patent expiry of several key blockbuster atypical antipsychotics, including Seroquel from AstraZeneca, the only approved atypical antipsychotic for both bipolar mania and depression, is one of the key challenges for the market participants.

“As generic equivalents of these blockbuster drugs reach the market, drug prices are expected to fall between 30–60 per cent, causing an overall decrease of 10.1 per cent in the European bipolar disorder therapeutics market until 2013,” noted Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Aiswariya Chidambaram.

Nonetheless, the high levels of unmet therapeutic needs present significant market opportunities and business potential. Over three million people have been diagnosed with some form (mania, hypomania or depression) of bipolar disorder in Europe; this number is estimated to double by 2018. Most of the currently approved drugs focus on the treatment of acute mania or hypomania, which means that drugs targeting bipolar depression are the need of the hour.

“Any initiative to develop new and improved drug formulations – particularly depot formulations of atypical antipsychotics that improves the efficacy, safety and overall performance of the drug – will bear fruit in the coming years,” said Chidambaram. “Increasing investments in R&D and the commercialisation of four potential product candidates within the next few years are expected to confer bright growth prospects.”

Strategic alliances and collaborations among large, specialty pharmaceutical companies and technology providers will be the key tool for companies to expand their global footprint and increase market shares.

Within the European Union, Germany is expected to remain the largest bipolar-disorder therapeutics market while Italy and Spain grow at relatively fast rates.