Sanofi and Actelion will dominate insomnia market by 2016

Although French drug major Sanofi-Aventis' eplivanserin and Swiss biotechnology firm Actelion's ACT-078573 will be market leaders by 2016, the insomnia market is not likely to sustain multiple "me-too" drugs that lack definable safety or efficacy advantages, according to Decision Resources.

The new Pharmacor report, Insomnia, finds that the 5-HT2 antagonist eplivanserin and the orexin receptor antagonist ACT-078573 are among 11 emerging therapies for insomnia that will enter the market during the next decade. Among the emerging therapies will be the launches (outside the USA) of Sepracor's Lunesta (eszopiclone) and Takeda's ramelteon, both of which are forecast to debut in Europe in 2008 and in Japan in 2010. Experts believe that the broadening recognition of insomnia as a treatable disorder by physicians and patients will help drive market growth in the USA, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.