Uveitis Treatment Market to Undergo Steady Growth by 2017 with Launch of Humira and Xoma 052, but Unmet Needs Still to Be Fulfilled

The uveitis treatment market value in the six major markets (6MM) is expected to increase from $340 million in 2012 to $464 million by 2017, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.5%, with unmet needs presenting opportunities for drug developers to gain a share, says a new report from research and consulting firm GlobalData.

The company’s latest report* states that out of the 6MM — the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK — the majority of uveitis treatment sales will take place in the US market, which will boast a higher CAGR of 8.7% and expand its market share from 49% to 55% during the forecast period.

This will be due to the earlier introduction of pipeline drugs in the US, as opposed to the European Union countries, according to GlobalData.

Melina Reisenberg, PhD, GlobalData's Analyst covering Neurology, says: “Drugs with diverse mechanisms of action and routes of administration are poised to enter the uveitis market over the coming years. With Humira being shifted away from off-label use to a marketed drug, and Xoma 052 introduced as a novel biologic, we expect the treatment landscape to change significantly for uveitis patients.”

Despite these promising launches, an unmet need remains for treatment options that can permanently control inflammation and prevent a decrease in vision, while also boasting decent short- and long-term safety profiles.

Reisenberg continues: “While corticosteroids have been at the core of uveitis treatment for a number of years, they do come with various side-effects, which lead to low compliance and a requirement for corticosteroid-sparing treatment over time. Furthermore, biologics, which are well tolerated on a day-to-day basis, are associated with potentially severe long-term side effects, such as infection and malignancies.”

However, a number of barriers will hinder established and new uveitis market players from seizing upon the opportunity to create safer treatments.

The analyst concludes: “Uveitis remains an under-researched indication, with diverse etiologies that require a range of treatment options. This will prove a challenge to patient enrollment in clinical trials, which companies will also need to overcome if they are to develop and eventually launch novel products with improved efficacy and safety profiles.”

*OpportunityAnalyzer: Uveitis — Opportunity Analysis and Forecasts to 2017