 Pharmacor --
September 2004
 You Need to Know
How will the trend toward earlier
intervention affect drug sales for type 2 diabetes? Will emerging drugs such as
the dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors significantly expand this market? Will
emerging agents be able to fulfill a key unmet need in the treatment of type 2
diabetes: disease modification?
Introduction
The International Diabetes
Foundation recently warned that type 2 diabetes has become a global pandemic
and one of the most challenging public health problems of the 21st century. A
progressive disease of metabolic dysregulation, type 2 diabetes is
characterized by insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. Over the
past decade, the prevalence of this complex disease soared in the United
States, and it is expected to continue growing in the near future as the adult
population increases in number. The enormous size of the patient population and
the limitations of existing therapies in reducing severe complications and
altering disease progression point to vast, untapped commercial opportunity. In
the coming years, the type 2 diabetes market will be driven by the burgeoning
patient population, increased polypharmacy, a growing trend toward single-pill
combination therapies, the earlier initiation of insulin therapy, and
the emergence of inhaled insulin and other novel therapies.
Key Findings
 The number of prevalent cases of type 2 diabetes will increase
over the 2003-2013 study period as a result of a growing adult population in
all seven markets. Major-market sales of agents used to treat this disease will
grow dramatically--more than 60% over the forecast period.
The development of disease-modifying agents represents the
greatest unmet need in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Uncontrolled high
blood glucose levels, which often occur because currently available therapies
fail to prevent disease progression, can result in debilitating complications
in many patients.
Metformin, one of the oldest and most frequently prescribed
agents for type 2 diabetes, will maintain its core position in the therapeutic
armamentarium thanks to its proven efficacy and the recent launches of
single-pill combinations in which it is a key component. However, sales of the
sulfonylureas, which are also current market leaders in terms of patient share,
will suffer as a result of the increased popularity of newer agents on the
market, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonists, and the emergence
of promising therapies, such as agents targeting the glucagon-like peptide-1
pathway.
Why Buy This Report?
Uncover the clinical and commercial impact of worldwide growth in
adult populations.
Explore drug developers' quest to make blood glucose
monitoring less invasive and insulin therapies easier and more convenient to
use.
Discover how single-pill combinations will fare in the clinic and
the marketplace.
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