Summary
Sleep Disorders - Focusing on Insomnia
The insomnia market is on the verge of considerable growth due to the launch of new formulations of leading drugs, new classes of drugs with improved side-effect profiles and patient dynamics - an ageing patient population. This chapter focuses on the developments in the insomnia market and the substantial changes beginning to take place. New formulations are reaching the market and leading brand products face competition from generics and from the new GABA-A receptor agonists: Lunesta (Sepracor) to launched in late 2004, Indiplon (Pfizer/Neurocrine) and Gaboxadol (Lundbeck/Merck) in mid-2005 and early 2007, respectively.
Sleep disorders cover a range of problems, the best known types being insomnia, sleep apnoea and restless legs syndrome. Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder and it is estimated that it affects over 37 million US citizens and over 100 million people worldwide with approximately 25% of elderly people and 15% of the general population suffering from the condition. Studies suggest that less than 20% of insomniacs seek help and less than 20% of sufferers are prescribed a medication from their doctor.
Global insomnia market
Approximately US$2.5 billion is currently spent on hypnotics and sedatives in the treatment of insomnia the 10th largest segment of CNS drug sales. The global market for insomnia drug sales is unevenly distributed. In 2004, the US insomnia market accounted for 59% of the global market compared to 30% in Europe and 11% in the rest of world (largely Japan). This is largely due to the pricing differential between the European and the US market.
GABA-A receptor agonists (non-benzodiazepines) will continue to remain the cornerstone for the treatment of both acute and chronic insomnia. However, the launch of several new products over the next 3 years will help to increase patient awareness, particularly in the elderly, and help the market to grow to US$4.8 billion by 2010.
Key questions answered by this chapter include:
- What are the opportunities in treating chronic insomnia over the next 5 years?
- How will sanofi-aventis protect Ambien revenues in the future?
- What will be the leading treatments in 2008?
- Why are the prospects for sanofi-aventis/Sepracor's Lunesta looking good?
- What threat do new therapies such as Takeda's Ramelteon, the first in a novel class of melatonin-1 receptor agonists, present to the market?
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