BIOPHARMACEUTICALS MARKET GROWING FAST

The worldwide market for biopharmaceutical products (represented by blood factors, endocrine, interferons, interleukins, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines and other products) represented just 5% of the total pharmaceutical market in 1992. However, rapid growth of some 26% pushed the sector's sales up 26% to $9 billion in 1993, according to a new report from Datamonitor.

The largest segment of the biopharmaceutical market is recombinant blood factors, with total sales of $2.9 billion in 1993, or some 33% of the sector total. Endocrine products accounted for 30%, interferons/ interleukins 20%, vaccines 9%, MAbs 1% and other products 7% of the total.

The application of biotechnology (used in some industries for many years) to manufacture products for human use began in the mid-1970s. This has progressed to the launch of the first recombinant drug - Eli Lilly's Humulin (recombinant insulin), and the sector now has seven drugs with blockbuster sales of over $500 million.