Patent expiries 'pose challenge to enzyme inhibitor market growth'

A new TechNavio report has looked at the state of the global enzyme inhibitor market and its prospects for growth

A number of existing enzyme inhibitors will reach the end of their patent terms in the near future and this could have a significant effect on market growth, analysts have said.

TechNavio estimates that the global market for these medicines will grow at a CAGR of four per cent between 2011 and 2015.

Growth will be fuelled by a combination of rising demand for enzyme inhibitors due to the increasing prevalence of various diseases, and the trend for mergers and acquisitions among vendors.

However, analysts warn that market growth could be hindered by patent expirations across therapeutic categories.

A spokesperson for TechNavio's Healthcare team also commented on the trend for outsourcing of drug manufacturing among pharmaceutical companies.

"Some of the vendors are outsourcing different parts of research work such as product characterisation testing and toxicology testing to different contract research organisations," they observed.

"Similarly, some vendors are increasingly outsourcing part of their enzyme inhibitor drug manufacturing or the entire manufacturing process to various contract manufacturing organizations."