Russia's hepatitis C virus drug market set to grow 9% annually, reaching $327 million by 2013

The hepatitis C virus drug market in Russia will grow 9% a year over the 2008-2013 study period, reaching $327 million by 2013, according to a new report from research and advisory firm Decision Resources. This growth will be driven mainly by increased government spending on health care and increased use of more-expensive therapies like pegylated interferons [peg-IFNs] (ie, Roche's Pegasys and Schering-Plough's [now Merck & Co] PegIntron) instead of conventional interferons, such as Roche's Roferon and Schering-Plough's Intron A.

As Russia's Gross Domestic Product per capita continues to grow, both government and private health care spending is expected to increase as well. In 2007, the International Monetary Fund reported government spending on health care was only about 3.5% of Russia's GDP, but the World Bank and other sources expect this number to increase to 5.5% by 2013.

The new Emerging Markets report entitled Hepatitis C Virus in Russia also finds that Pegasys and PegIntron will benefit from market growth in Russia. Sales of these two agents will account for 77% of the total hepatitis C virus drug market in 2013, an increase from 68% in 2008.

"In Russia, Pegasys and PegIntron currently capture a relatively small patient share but have growth potential because physicians and patients perceive them to be more effective and safer than conventional interferons," stated Alexandra Makarova, an nalyst at Decision Resources.