Rheumatoid arthritis researchers limber up, says GlobalData

Upcoming therapeutics and an emerging biosimilars industry will improve the lives of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) sufferers around the world, claims a new report by health care experts GlobalData.

The new report states that the chronic autoimmune disease, which causes inflammation and deformity of the joints, forces nearly 50% of patients to give up work during the first decade following diagnosis due to the physical, emotional, and financial burdens of the condition. The estimated direct and indirect cost of RA therapy in the USA in 2011 alone reached close to $19 billion. The disease therefore represents a huge personal and social burden, making its treatment of paramount importance.

Abbott has been a dominant player in the RA market due to the success of Humira (adalimumab), but the drug is faced with a looming patent expiry, which will see Abbott’s sales start to slip. Humira does have a loyal following and looks likely to maintain the lion’s share of the market in 2022, but Abbott’s lack of RA pipeline products suggests that the company’s RA fortunes will fade.