Sandoz' Sandimmun (ciclosporin) accounted for 25.4% of the world market for immunologicals in 1993, with sales of $899 million. This puts it considerably ahead of its nearest rival, Schering-Plough's Intron-A (interferon alpha), which had sales of $572 million and 16.2% of the market last year, according to a new study from Datamonitor.
However, one of the fastest-growing drugs in the sector is Schering AG's Betaseron (interferon beta), launched in the USA for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Interferon is the first product to have shown any success in slowing the course of MS, although it is indicated only for the relapsing/remitting condition which is suffered by about 65% of the estimated 1.5 million patients worldwide.
Other MS treatments now in development are: Biogen's interferon beta, Teva's Copaxone (copolymer-1) and Nippon Kayaku/ Hoechst's desoxyspergualin, all due for launch in 1995; Autoimmune's AI-100 (bovine myelin) and Ares-Serono's Rebif (interferon beta), both due to be launched in 1996; and Cell-Sci's T-Cell vaccine, whose launch date is expected to be 1998.
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