 Spectrum --
June 2008
 Introduction:
The glaucoma market has not seen any new mechanisms for
treatment since the launch of prostaglandin analogues in the mid 1990s. Despite
the efficacy of existing agents, glaucoma treatment still exhibits a
significant level of unmet need, especially to address unreliable patient
compliance and unacceptable side effects. Additionally, several orphan
conditions exist that include glaucoma as a relevant symptom. Focusing on any
of these areas could provide an entry for companies looking to emerge in this
market.
Get the Answers You Need to Shape Your Strategy:
 Various forms of glaucoma affect more than 50 million people
in the United States; the majority are treated with agents to lower intraocular
pressure. What unmet needs exist that could provide entry for novel agents?
What agents are currently in development? What do thought leaders say they
would like to see in an emerging treatment?
Ophthalmologists interviewed say that compliance is one of the
biggest issues in the successful treatment of glaucoma. What do these
thought leaders say about their prescribing preferences related to dosing
regimens? What novel agents are in development to test new delivery methods and
new formulations?
Several companies are developing agents to improve existing
therapy options. What early clinical data have been released regarding these
studies? How do thought leaders view the potential of these emerging drugs?
A recent search of the National Institute of Health’s Office
of Rare Diseases revealed more than 20 orphan conditions that include glaucoma
as a relevant symptom. What indications would benefit from orphan-drug
discovery? Which agents have already received orphan-drug designation for
glaucoma treatment?
Scope:
Current treatments for glaucoma: beta blockers;
prostaglandin F2 analogues; carbonic anhydrase inhibitors; alpha
2-adrenoreceptor agonists; combination agents.
Epidemiology: prevalent cases of primary open-angle and
congenital glaucoma (CG); expected growth through 2017.
Overview of glaucoma: anatomy of the eye; types of
glaucoma; risk factors for glaucoma; diagnosis, disease progression, prognosis.
Emerging treatments for glaucoma: Alcon’s anecortave
acetate; QLT’s latanoprost punctal-plug delivery system; Santen/UBE Industries’
DE-104.
Glaucoma as an orphan indication: neovascular glaucoma;
juvenile primary open-angle glaucoma.
Glaucoma market outlook: decline in market due to
patent expiry and lack of new branded agents; emerging agents with improved
side-effect profiles and delivery mechanisms more likely to see significant
uptake.
Orphan Disease Series: As competition increases in
larger disease states, companies are turning to orphan diseases that offer
substantial pricing advantages and lower regulatory hurdles because of high
unmet need. The Orphan Disease Series provides critical market
information, including disease prevalence, profiles of marketed and emerging
agents, and insight into the prescribing choices of disease specialists for
diseases with smaller patient populations. These reports will help you to
maximize the potential of your agents in these challenging markets, including
the regulatory benefits available and the potential for partnership with
charitable organizations.
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