The Lyme Disease Market to Show Steady Growth from 2010 to 2018

Monday 12 March 2012, Amsterdam

The report is an essential source of information and analysis on the global Lyme disease therapeutics market. The report identifies the key trends shaping and driving the global Lyme disease therapeutics market. It also provides insights on the prevalent competitive landscape and the emerging players expected to significantly alter the market positioning of the current market leaders. Most importantly, the report provides valuable insights on the pipeline products within the global Lyme disease sector.

The Lyme Disease Market to Show Steady Growth from 2010 to 2018

The estimates that the global Lyme disease market was valued at $46.1m in 2010, and is forecast to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.2% to reach $80.3m by 2018. The main reason for this limited market revenue is that there are no approved vaccines or drugs in the market for prophylactic or therapeutic management of Lyme disease and only off-label antibiotics are prescribed for treatment of Lyme disease. The antibiotics currently prescribed are doxycycline, amoxicillin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, penicillin G, azithromycin and erythromycin. The patent protection of these antibiotics expired long ago and many generic versions are available at low prices. In 2010, the annual cost of therapy for Lyme disease with antibiotics was $298. Another factor contributing to limited market revenue is the low prevalence and incidence rate of the disease in countries like Spain, Italy, the UK and Japan. There are no molecules present in Phase III of the drug development process and thus the late-stage pipeline for the Lyme disease market is weak. There is only one product present in Phase II, which is the product extension of existing off-label antibiotic azithromycin. Even though these drugs will receive regulatory approval in the future for the Lyme disease market, the entry of this product is expected to have a negligible impact on the market in terms of sales value and volume. Despite having a weak late stage pipeline the market is expected to show steady growth, primarily due to an increase in the incidence, diagnosis and treatment rate of the disease particularly in the US, Germany and France.

Current Competition in the Lyme Disease Therapeutics Market is Strong

They found that the current competition in the Lyme disease therapeutics market is strong. Off-label generic antibiotics are effective against all stages of the disease. The drugs used for the treatment of the early stage of the disease show minimal side effects, while more side effects are observed for the treatment of Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD). The majority of the early-stage patients treated with antibiotics never test positive for Lyme disease again. This indicates that the market is well served by antibiotics. However, antibiotics with a better safety profile are required in the market for the treatment of CLD.

Current Competition in the Lyme Disease Prophylactic Market is Weak

The competition in the Lyme disease prophylactic market is weak because there are no vaccines or drugs present for prevention of the disease after the discontinuation of GSK’s FDA-approved LYMErix in 2002. Vaccines or drugs with better efficacy and safety profiles than previously launched vaccine LYMErix are required in the Lyme disease prophylactic market.

Pipeline for Lyme Disease is Weak as There is no First-in-Class Therapy to Enter the Market During the Forecast Period

They found that the pipeline for the Lyme disease market is weak. There are only five therapies in the current pipeline, four of which are first-in-class in the pre-clinical stage of the drug development process. One product extension of existing off-label antibiotic azithromycin is present in Phase II of clinical development. GlobalData estimates that the entry of this molecule will not result in a significant increase in the Lyme disease market.

The pre-clinical pipeline contains three vaccines and one molecule (VGV-L) with the mechanism of tricking harmful cells to make it more vulnerable to the body’s natural immune responses. The vaccines are being developed by Baxter, Intercell AG and Liege University. The molecule VGV-L is being developed by Viral Genetics.

Pre-clinical studies on the vaccines reported positive results for the treatment of Lyme disease. It is expected that the vaccines will enter the market after the forecast period provided they are safe and effective in further clinical trials. However, once these products enter the market, they are expected to have a significant positive effect on market growth.

The Lyme Disease Therapeutics Market is Well Served by the Use of Off-Label Antibiotics

They found that the Lyme disease market is well served by the currently available off-label treatment options. The off-label generic antibiotics used for the treatment of Lyme disease are effective in all stages of the disease. The efficacy of the current off-label antibiotic drugs in the market varies from moderate to high. Therefore the unmet need in the Lyme disease market is low mainly due to the low cost treatment options that are available.

Even though the currently available treatments are effective against the disease, their safety profiles are moderate since heavy doses and long term use of oral antibiotics can cause side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, sun sensitivity, vaginal yeast infections, rashes, glossitis and abdominal pain. The unmet need exists mainly in terms of the safety of antibiotics, especially when used for a longer duration to treat CLD.

There is Significant Unmet Need in the Lyme Disease Prophylactic Market

There is no drug or vaccine for the prevention of Lyme disease. However, in 1998, the FDA approved LYMErix vaccine for the treatment of Lyme disease. This vaccine was removed from the market in 2002 due to autoimmune side effects and its poor sale. Thus the unmet need in the Lyme disease prophylactic market is significant.