Alzheimer’s disease drugs lag behind other drug development

In looking at the global Alzheimer's disease drug market, Renub Research, a management consultancy and information analysis company with offices in Noida, India and Roswell, Ga., recently published a 110-page report showing that while this particular segment of the drug market is in a "curvature stage," it is still declining.

The Alzheimer’s disease drug market has been in decline since 2009 and is expected to continue falling until 2016, notes a press release announcing the report's publication. "But with the expected launch of some Alzheimer’s drugs from the year 2017 onwards, the Alzheimer’s disease drug market is expected to revive in the coming years."

Still, the report adds, the market's unmet needs "represent a huge opportunity for pharmaceutical companies which are developing targeted novel therapies. If successful, they will be in a position to command premium prices and tap the existing opportunity."

No major drug aimed at preventing or curing Alzheimer's disease has been released since 2003, the report says. Most current drugs including Namenda, Axura, Aricept and Memary address symptoms of the disease rather than the disease itself. However, some promising drugs are in the pipelines of companies like Genentech, Merck, Novartis and Roche, the report notes.

 


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