New biologic drugs "will fuel psoriasis market growth"

Sales of new biologic drugs to treat psoriasis will reach over $373million in the world's seven major markets (the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan) in 2005, rising to about $923 million in 2010, with the greatest impact being seen in the USA, forecasts a new study from Decision Resources.

Two classes of biologics now in late-stage development for psoriasis are cell adhesion molecule antagonists and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. Two CAM antagonists, Biogen's Amevive (alafacept) and Genentech/Xoma's Xanelim (efalizumab), are expected to be launched by early 2003, and could become the most successful new psoriasis treatments up to 2010, it says.

TNF inhibitors are expected to emerge speedily as the principal growth drivers in the psoriatic arthritis (PsA) market, DR adds. They will be prescribed mainly by rheumatologists but, as PsA represents a significant segment of the psoriasis population, this will facilitate their acceptance by dermatologists in the care of the general psoriasis population, it forecasts.