New Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines Hard to Swallow for Non-Statin Manufacturers in Cardiovascular Drug Market
![](/46/pdcnewsitem/03/28/40/Ljh47hbRslTBK8F.jpg)
Updated guidelines for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) could well give the statin market a substantial boost over the coming years, but they will pose a significant challenge to developers of other drug classes in the cardiovascular marketplace, according to analysts with research and consulting firm GlobalData.
The new guidelines, released by a task force from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA), promote the use of statins alone for the reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), or 'bad cholesterol'.
Eric J. Dimise, PhD, and Rebecca C. Wong, MSc, GlobalData's Analysts covering Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders, say that these guidelines will prove particularly “hard to swallow” for manufacturers of other lipid-lowering drug classes, such as Zetia (ezetimibe/Merck) and Trilipix (fenofibric acid/AbbVie), as the new recommendations all but discredit the usefulness of these products.
Conversely, the analysts believe that the support received from statin suppliers is not at all surprising. AstraZeneca, for instance, is leveraging the new guidelines to promote Crestor (rosuvastatin), which will remain under patent protection into 2016.
Rebecca C. Wong says: “Now that statins are officially recommended as the go-to therapy, drugs such as Lipitor (atorvastatin), Crestor and Zocor (simvastatin) are likely to retain market dominance for the treatment of ASCVD. Meanwhile, drugs in alternative therapeutic classes could well experience greater difficulty in gaining physician uptake and patient shares.”
Instead of employing a 'treat-to-target' approach to cholesterol reduction, the new guidelines promote a more opaque goal of 'treat to reduce risk', with an increased emphasis on healthy lifestyles.
However, prescribing physicians are far from achieving a consensus regarding these directions. Eric J. Dimise believes that physicians will not necessarily break from what they perceive to be the tried-and-true, treat-to-target approach.
As such, Dimise concludes: “It is risky to say that the statin market will double in size between November 2013 and the patent expiry of Crestor in 2016 as a result of these guidelines. However, suggesting that it will experience a boost is a reasonable and well-founded proposition that GlobalData can support.”
Related News
-
News Ophthalmologic drug product Eylea faces biosimilar threats after FDA approvals
Regeneron Pharmaceutical’s blockbuster ophthalmology drug Eylea is facing biosimilar competition as the US FDA approves Biocon’s Yesafili and Samsung Bioepis/Biogen’s Opuviz. -
News ONO Pharmaceutical expands oncology portfolio with acquisition of Deciphera
ONO Pharmaceutical, out of Japan, is in the process of acquiring cancer-therapy maker Deciphera Pharmaceuticals for US$2.4 billion. -
News First offers for pharma from Medicare drug price negotiations
Ten high-cost drugs from various pharma manufacturers are in pricing negotiations in a first-ever for the US Medicare program. President Biden’s administration stated they have responded to the first round of offers. -
News Eli Lilly’s Zepbound makes leaps and bounds in weight-loss drug market
In the last week, Eli Lilly has announced their partnership with Amazon.com’s pharmacy unit to deliver prescriptions of Zepbound. Zepbound has also surpassed Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy for the number of prescriptions for the week of March 8.&nbs... -
News Chasing new frontiers at LEAP – The National Biotechnology Strategy Keynote
On the third day of LEAP (4–7 March 2024, Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre, Malham, Saudi Arabia) the CPHI Middle East team hosted the Future Pharma Forum, to set the scene for an exciting new event for the pharma community, coming to Riya... -
News Pfizer maps out plans for developing new oncology therapeutics by 2030
Pfizer dilvulges plans to investors around growing their cancer portfolio, and the drugs they will be focusing on developing after their aquisition of Seagen in 2023. -
News Generics threat to Merck’s Bridion as Hikma seeks pre-patent expiry approval
Merck has disclosed they received notice from Hikma Pharmaceuticals for seeking a pre-patent expiry US FDA approval for Hikma’s generic version of Merck’s Bridion. -
News Bernie Sanders vs Big Pharma - the latest on drug price negotiations
In a hearing in front of the US Senate, three of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in America are challenged over exorbitant prescription drug prices, with Sanders claiming their actions are limiting the population's access to affordable healthc...
Position your company at the heart of the global Pharma industry with a CPHI Online membership
-
Your products and solutions visible to thousands of visitors within the largest Pharma marketplace
-
Generate high-quality, engaged leads for your business, all year round
-
Promote your business as the industry’s thought-leader by hosting your reports, brochures and videos within your profile
-
Your company’s profile boosted at all participating CPHI events
-
An easy-to-use platform with a detailed dashboard showing your leads and performance