NEW YORK— With strong sales in the insulin, erythropoietin and interferon segments, as well as innovative cytostatic, immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory agents fast gaining prominence, the protein therapeutics market has more than doubled in the last five years—jumping from $25 billion in 2001 to $51 billion in 2005—making it the scientific trump card of the pharmaceutical industry.
According to the latest market research from Kalorama Information, The Protein Therapeutics Market: The Science and Business of a Growing Sector, sales by 2010 should reach $87 billion, powered by heavy demand and rapid sales in the U.S. and Europe, which currently account for more than 80 percent of the market. New product innovations, respectable margins, and relatively mild pricing pressures as compared with the rest of the pharmaceutical market will continue to be strong market drivers.
The rapid metamorphosis of the protein therapeutics market has indeed been driven by innovative therapies including interferons and interleukins in the 1990s, and monoclonal antibodies in more recent years. Such treatments, owing to their high efficacy, safety, and ability to prolong life have fundamentally changed treatment paradigms in areas of high unmet needs such as oncology, inflammation, and genetic disorders.
"Protein therapeutics are revolutionizing modern medicine and showing no signs of slowing up," notes Steven Heffner, the publisher of Kalorama Information. "With little threat from generics due to the specialized manufacturing of cell lines and strong process controls, strong product innovation, and the premium pricing afforded to them due to their high-tech ingredient profiles and the diseases they target, we are witnessing a pharmacological wonder where everyone—including consumers—is a winner."
