PPIs Boost Euro Peptic Ulcer Drug Sales

The massive growth of the European market for antipeptic ulcer drugs has been driven mainly by the new, comparatively higher-priced proton pump inhibitors, spearheaded by Astra's Losec (omeprazole), which have revolutionized the market in the last five years, says a new study from Frost & Sullivan.

The current value of the European anti-peptic ulcer drugs market is put at $83 billion, and expected to reach $5.40 billion by 2001. Sales of proton pump inhibitors are forecast to grow from $1.13 billion to $3.38 billion, while sales of their predecessors, the H2 receptor antagonists, will rise from $1.52 billion to $1.85 billion. F&S says some potential competitors have been deterred from entering the high-cost antipeptic ulcer drugs market, and this environment has also hurt the performances of small firms with effective products already on the market.