Fast growth In World asthma Market

The world market for branded antiasthma treatments grew at a rate of 17% in 1994 to reach a value of more than $5 billion with the diagnosis of more and more cases, says a new study from Datamonitor, available (priced $1,995) through the Marketletter.

By therapeutic category, the biggest growth was reported for sodium cromoglycate, which rose 18%, then corticosteroids, up 17% and long-acting beta agonists, increasing 15%. In contrast, theophylline products showed a decline in sales, and while growth in sales of branded salbutamol continued, the rate of increase fell to 8%. Datamonitor also notes that sales of Glaxo Wellcome's long-acting beta agonist Serevent (salmeterol) were initially disappointing, as a result of adverse publicity and re-labeling after the product was launched in the USA in April 1994, but it forecasts that sales could have reached close to $300 million by the end of 1995.

Next year should see some significant changes to the market, with the arrival of a number of new products and wider availability of certain others. First to market among the leukotriene antagonists is expected to be Zeneca's Accolate (zafirlukast), and SmithKline Beecham's pranlukast will become more widely available; it is already on the market in Japan as Ono's Onon.