Biobetters: The Big Draw in the Pharma Market

Monday 16 July 2012, Amsterdam

Biobetters, drugs that have been improved since their initial incarnations, are demonstrating fantastic growth and leaving their originators well behind, states the new Biobetters in Key Markets - Opportunities for Biotechnology Companies to Sustain Innovation with Low Risk and High Value Offerings report.

The new report explains how the more advanced drugs are far outstripping their biologic predecessors in terms of sales and pricing, helping companies maintain revenue at a time when patent expiry is rife.

Examples presented in the report include Amgen’s biobetter Neulasta, used for the treatment of neutropenia. It was launched in 2002, 11 years after originator product Neupogen, and grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 94% between 2002 and 2004. During the same period, Neupogen declined at a negative CAGR of 8%.

Similarly, when Roche launched Pegasys, a biobetter therapy with an improved dosing regime for hepatitis C, it grew at a CAGR of 23% between 2003 and 2004 and reached $1.4 bn in 2011, whereas the originator product, Intron A, saw sales decline at a negative CAGR of 10% between 2003 and 2004.

Biologic therapies have existed in the market since the mid-1980s, and therefore many are nearing their patent expiry or are no longer protected. However, the advent of modern technological and analytical methods such as mass spectrometry and genome sequencing has made it possible to produce and characterize protein therapies that have undergone significant changes, and has also enabled the development of biologic therapies with better safety profiles, dosing regimens and efficacy.

The dominance of biobetters is set to continue in the future, thanks to a healthy looking therapeutics pipeline. Considering that 21% of pipeline medications are in late stage development, the biobetters market is expected to show strong market growth over the next few years, further attracting pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies.

The major players in the biobetters sector are those firms with considerable experience in this space which have released next generation therapeutics to protect and reinforce their position. The major stakeholder is Abbott, which controls 23% of the market thanks to its blockbuster therapy, Humira. Roche is not far behind with a 21% share, followed by Amgen with a 20% portion.

This report provides insights into the impact of biobetter therapies on the top selling biologic therapeutics, the regulatory procedure surrounding entry in the biobetters market and includes recent technological advances that have driven advancement in the market.

This report was built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by a team of industry experts.