Japan

The Japanese market for metabolic disease drugs will see a 9% increase on average from an estimated 293.4 billion yen ($2.49 billion) in 2007, an 8% increase compared with last year, to 578.0 billion yen in 2015, according to a survey report entitled, Data-book on Prescription Drugs No 4 2007, published by Fuji-Keizai, a Tokyo, Japan-based market research company.

The market for metabolic disease drugs such as treatments for diabetes and related complications, gout and hyperuricemia, as well as obesity, is expected to double in 2007 compared to 1998. Among them, the market for diabetic agents, which accounts for about 80% of the metabolic disease drug market, is expected to increase 9% on average from an estimated 242.5 billion yen in 2007 (up 10% compared to a year ago) to 490.0 billion yen in 2015 (a 121% increase on 2006) due to Japan's aging population and because of the success of public awareness campaigns targeting lifestyle diseases, which have increased physician consultations by patients.

Hyperlipid drugs up till 2011, then down again