New analysis reveals that US revenues in this industry totalled $3.03 billion in 2002, and are projected to reach $10.88 billion by 2009
While antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in existing categories continue to be the mainstay of the HIV/Aids therapies market in the United States, the development of new drugs in both existing and novel categories offer exciting growth prospects to established and new participants.
"Existing categories - nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), and protease inhibitors (PIs) - as well as novel categories such as entry inhibitors, immune-based therapies, zinc finger inhibitors and integrate inhibitors have several drugs in the pipeline that can address the urgent requirement for new antiretroviral drugs," says Frost and Sullivan research analyst Raghunath Tantry.
New analysis from Frost and Sullivan, US HIV/Aids Therapies Markets, reveals that revenues in this industry totalled $3.03 billion in 2002, and are projected to reach $10.88 billion by 2009.
Guided by the principles of highly active antiretroviral therapy (Haart), ARV drugs are usually recommended in combinations, which can increase the problem of pill burdens.
Such combinations require the patient to take many different tablets several times a day, creating a cumbersome situation and increasing the possibility of forgetting to take some of the tablets.
To combat this challenge, many manufacturers are researching the feasibility of reducing the number of tablets per day for various ARV drugs by enhancing tablet strength.
Significantly, the Food and Drug Administration has given its approval for some important drugs to be taken in smaller numbers and at longer intervals. Rational fixed-dose combinations of the most recommended drugs belonging to one ARV category are another way of addressing this problem, seen in GlaxoSmithKline's merging of its NRTIs; Epivir and Retrovir into a well accepted fixed-dose combination Combivir.
"Experts from the healthcare provider segments are hoping that in future, fixed dose combinations of ARVs that combine two NRTIs and one NNRTI or PI as per recommended guidelines will be available," says Tantry.
"This seems possible only if the manufacturers collaborate and synergize their core competencies in all three categories."
