Ophthalmology Therapeutics Market: India and China to Lead Modest Growth

The ophthalmology therapeutics market for Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) and glaucoma in four Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries — India, Australia, China and Japan — will increase from $2.4 billion in 2012 to $3.3 billion by 2019, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5%, forecasts business intelligence provider GBI Research.

The company’s latest report* states that the Indian market is expected to show the fastest growth over the forecast period, with almost a double-digit CAGR of 9.9%, followed by China with a CAGR of 5%.

In 2012, Japan had the largest share of the ophthalmology market with $1,065m (45%), followed by China, India and Australia with shares of $767 million (33%), $427 million (18%) and $95 million (4%), respectively.

Saurabh Sharma, Senior Analyst for GBI Research, says: “Some of the major factors driving the market is the growing awareness of the importance of detecting ophthalmic diseases early, the availability of effective diagnostic tools, and an increase in the prevalence of both DES and glaucoma.”

Currently, there are five molecules in the pre-registration stage of development that are expected to be granted approval within the forecast period. Two of these are indicated for DES and three for glaucoma.

Nearly 36% of the pipeline for glaucoma and DES are molecules in the late stages of development (Phases II and III), and of these, 21 molecules are indicated for DES and 28 are for glaucoma.

Sharma says: “The drug approval processes in many APAC countries, including Japan and China, require clinical trials to be run domestically to account for differences in drug metabolism between populations of different ethnicities. This can delay new drug launches, but in the long term it secures greater confidence in safety and efficacy profiles.”

However, many ophthalmic medications, such as Lumigan, are expected to lose patent exclusivity during the forecast period. GBI Research therefore expects the resulting increase in generic drug use to act as a barrier to the future growth of the ophthalmology therapeutics market.

*Ophthalmology Therapeutics Market in Asia-Pacific to 2019 — High Unmet Need and Moderate Short Term Prospects Focus Attention on Early Stage Activity