Overactive bladder drug market expected to grow to $4 Billion in 2019

Although more than 50% of people with overactive bladder (OAB) in the world's major pharmaceutical markets are undiagnosed, the sizeable prevalent population fuels significant sales for the indication. As a result, the OAB drug market will increase from around $3 billion in 2009 to nearly $4 billion in 2019 in the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan, according to advisory firm Decision Resources.

The Pharmacor 2010 findings from the topic titled Overactive Bladder reveal that the market is, and will continue to be, dominated by anticholinergics, but other classes such as beta3-adrenergic receptor agonists and neuromuscular-blocking agents will earn significant sales as they capitalize on the large segment of anticholinergic-refractory patients. Although selective oral anticholinergics, transdermal anticholinergics and the growing off-label use of Allergan's Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) have augmented the armamentarium of OAB treatment options, a sizeable percentage of OAB patients remain suboptimally served by existing drug therapies.

"Greater efficacy outweighs all other challenges in pharmacological management of overactive bladder," said Decision Resources analyst Kyle Crowell, adding: "An oral agent with a novel mechanism of action that reduces urinary frequency and/or episodes of incontinence by 25% to 50% compared with currently available anticholinergics would be well received in this market."