Hypertension

Pharmacor -- March 2007

  Introduction:

Valued at more than $24 billion in 2005 for the seven major pharmaceutical markets under study, the hypertension market is one of the largest in the pharmaceutical sector. Despite an array of effective medication, good control of blood pressure remains elusive. Poor patient compliance combined with the requirement for treatment with a number of different agents creates a significant commercial opportunity.

  Questions Answered in This Report:

The renin inhibitors will represent the first launch of a new drug class in hypertension since the launch of losartan, the first angiotensin II receptor antagonist (AIIRA), in 1994. What are thought leaders’ views on the likely success of aliskiren, and what sales will it achieve in hypertension?

Fixed-dose combination therapies aid patient compliance. What effect will fixed-dose combinations have on the market? Which combinations will perform the best, and why?

Prehypertension is a new classification introduced by the JNC VII Committee. What are thought leaders’ reactions to this new classification? What would the commercial impact be of widespread adoption of this classification?

Central aortic pressure (CAP) is a new method of measuring blood pressure. Will CAP measurement replace the usual method of measuring blood pressure with a sphygmomanometer, and what are commercial implications of the CAFE trial, the first major trial to compare CAP to peripheral blood pressure?

  Scope:

Markets covered: United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Japan.

Primary research: 23 country-specific interviews with cardiologists.

Epidemiology: Prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension.

Emerging therapies: Phase II: 7 drugs; Phase III: 3 drugs; preregistration: 2 drugs; registered: 5 drugs. Coverage of select preclinical and Phase I products with market-disrupting potential is included.

Market forecast features: Using a proprietary patient-flow model, we forecast drug sales for treatment of hypertension through 2015.

Alternative market scenarios: If aliskiren produces better clinical outcomes data in preventing end-organ damage than the angiotensin II receptor antagonists.